CVE-2022-21140 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer(TM) WiFi products. The issue arises from improper access control mechanisms within these wireless network management software components. Specifically, a privileged local user—meaning someone with elevated permissions on the affected system—can exploit this vulnerability to cause information disclosure. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and does not allow remote exploitation, as the attack vector is local access only. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with a vector string indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), no integrity impact (I:N), and no availability impact (A:N). This means that while the attacker must already have some level of privileged access, they can leverage this flaw to access sensitive information that should otherwise be protected. The vulnerability does not affect the integrity or availability of the system but compromises confidentiality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor advisories are linked in the provided data, though references to affected versions exist elsewhere. The vulnerability was reserved in late 2021 and published in August 2022, indicating it has been known for some time. Intel PROSet/Wireless and Killer WiFi products are widely used in laptops and desktops, especially in business and consumer environments, making this vulnerability relevant for organizations relying on these wireless drivers and management software.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-21140 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information on systems using affected Intel wireless products. Since exploitation requires local privileged access, the threat is more significant in environments where multiple users share systems or where attackers can gain elevated privileges through other means (e.g., phishing, malware). Confidential information such as network configuration details, credentials, or other sensitive data managed by the wireless software could be exposed. This could facilitate further attacks, lateral movement, or data breaches. The vulnerability does not directly affect system availability or integrity, so operational disruption is unlikely. However, the confidentiality breach could have compliance implications under GDPR if personal or sensitive data is involved. Organizations with high-value intellectual property or sensitive communications transmitted over wireless networks may face increased risk. The medium severity rating suggests that while the risk is not critical, it should be addressed promptly to prevent potential escalation or combined attacks.

To mitigate CVE-2022-21140, European organizations should: 1) Identify all systems using Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi products and verify the installed versions against known vulnerable releases. 2) Apply vendor-provided patches or updates as soon as they become available; if no patches are currently available, monitor Intel security advisories closely. 3) Limit local privileged access strictly to trusted personnel and implement strong access controls and user account management to reduce the risk of privilege escalation. 4) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious local activity that could indicate attempts to exploit this vulnerability. 5) Harden systems by disabling unnecessary services and restricting software installation rights to prevent attackers from gaining the required privileges. 6) Conduct regular security awareness training to reduce the risk of privilege escalation via social engineering or malware. 7) Consider network segmentation and use of secure wireless configurations to minimize exposure of sensitive wireless management components. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local privilege access and proactive monitoring, which are critical given the local attack vector and privilege requirement.