# CVE-2025-35998: Privilege escalation in Intel(R) Platforms

> A local attacker with privileged access can escalate privileges via a missing protection mechanism in Intel Quick Assist Technology kernel components.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Jul 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2xw2-f246-g27c, RHSA-2026:6888

## What is CVE-2025-35998?

CVE-2025-35998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) Platforms, published on 10 Feb 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Missing protection mechanism for alternate hardware interface in the Intel(R) Quick Assist Technology for some Intel(R) Platforms within Ring 0: Kernel may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a low 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 requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (none) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

Weakness: CWE-1220 (Insufficient Granularity of Access Control), CWE-1299 (Missing Protection Mechanism for Alternate Hardware Interface)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-35998?


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `microcode_ctl` | Red Hat:enterprise_linux_eus:10.0 | All versions | 4:20250211-1.20260227.1.el10_0 |

## How do I fix CVE-2025-35998?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-35998 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-35998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-35998 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-35998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Intel(R) Platforms, published on 10 Feb 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-35998 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Intel(R) Platforms. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35998/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35998/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-35998
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-35998
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-35998

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-35998/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.