# CVE-2026-20716: Privilege escalation in Intel(R) Processors

> A local attacker with special internal knowledge can escalate privileges on Intel processors, compromising system confidentiality and integrity.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 11 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 12 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** ALPINE-CVE-2026-20716, BELL-CVE-2026-20716, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-20716, GHSA-hp82-4wwh-pr9m, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-20716

## What is CVE-2026-20716?

CVE-2026-20716 is a high-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 access control for some Intel(R) Processors within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Simple hardware adversary with an authenticated 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 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-284 (Improper Access Control)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-20716?

It affects 90 products.


Products: Intel Xeon 6315p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6325p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6333p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6337p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6349p Firmware, Intel Xeon 634 Firmware, Intel Xeon 6353p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6357p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6369p Firmware, Intel Xeon 636 Firmware, Intel Xeon 6377p Firmware, Intel Xeon 638 Firmware, Intel Xeon 6503p-B Firmware, Intel Xeon 6503p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6505p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6507p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6511p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6513p-B Firmware, Intel Xeon 6515p Firmware, Intel Xeon 6516p-B Firmware and 70 more.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-20716?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-20716 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-20716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Intel(R) Processors

- [CVE-2026-20898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20898/): Privilege escalation in in Alias Checking Trusted Module for some Intel(R) Xeon(R) processors may allow an escalation of privilege. Startup code and SMM 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 not present without 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 (high), integrity (high) and availability (none) impacts. (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2025-31936](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-31936/): Privilege escalation in Intel(R) Xeon(R) 6 processors when using Intel(R) TDX (high 7.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-20716 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-20716 is a high-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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-20716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Intel(R) Processors. 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-2026-20716/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20716/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-20716
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-20716
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-20716

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-20716/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.