CVE-2025-35973 Privilege escalation in Intel(R) Processors
An authorized local adversary with privileged access can exploit improper value handling in Intel processors to escalate privileges and compromise system confidentiality and integrity.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2025-35973?
CVE-2025-35973 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) Processors, published on 11 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Improper handling of values for some Intel(R) Processors within Ring 0: Kernel, Hypervisor and Bare Metal OS may allow an escalation of privilege. Authorized adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present with special internal knowledge and require no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (low), integrity (low) and availability (none) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (none) impacts.
Weakness: CWE-229
Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-35973?
How do I fix CVE-2025-35973?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2025-35973 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-35973 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as ALPINE-CVE-2025-35973, BELL-CVE-2025-35973, CLSA-2026-1789116715, CLSA-2026-1789116898, CLSA-2026-1789117244, CLSA-2026-1790091171 and 4 more.