CVE-2025-20096 Privilege escalation in Intel Reference Platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable data manipulation. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires active user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) impacts.
A local attacker with privileged access can exploit improper input validation in Intel UEFI firmware to escalate privileges and manipulate data.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- A user has to click or open something
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2025-20096?
CVE-2025-20096 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Intel Reference Platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable data manipulation. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires active user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) impacts., published on 10 Mar 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Official description
Improper input validation in the UEFI firmware for some Intel Reference Platforms may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable data manipulation. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires active user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (high) and availability (high) impacts.
Weakness: CWE-20
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-20096?
How do I fix CVE-2025-20096?
No fix has been published for CVE-2025-20096 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Is CVE-2025-20096 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-20096 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-7h42-cp9q-cv35.