CVE-2025-20010 is a vulnerability identified in Intel(R) Processor Identification Utility versions prior to 8.0.43. The root cause is the use of unmaintained third-party components operating within Ring 3, the user application layer, which introduces an escalation of privilege risk. An attacker with authenticated local access and low attack complexity can exploit this vulnerability to gain elevated privileges on the affected system. The attack does not require user interaction and does not depend on special internal knowledge, making it accessible to a wide range of adversaries with local access. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level, meaning an attacker could potentially access sensitive data, modify system states, or disrupt system operations. The CVSS 4.0 vector (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) indicates local attack vector, low attack complexity, no attack prerequisites, privileges required at a low level, and no user interaction needed, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability represents a significant risk due to the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of privilege escalation. Intel has reserved this CVE since early 2025 and published details in November 2025, urging users to update to version 8.0.43 or later where the issue is resolved. The vulnerability is particularly relevant for systems where the Intel Processor Identification Utility is installed, commonly found in enterprise and personal computing environments using Intel processors.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to endpoint and server security. Successful exploitation allows an authenticated local attacker to escalate privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification or corruption of critical system files, and disruption of service availability. This could facilitate further lateral movement within networks, data breaches, or sabotage of critical infrastructure systems. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to the high value of the data and systems involved. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that exploitation could result in significant operational and reputational damage, regulatory penalties under GDPR for data breaches, and increased costs for incident response and remediation. The local access requirement limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments where attackers can gain initial footholds through phishing, insider threats, or compromised credentials. The lack of user interaction requirement further increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation once local access is obtained.

1. Immediate upgrade of Intel(R) Processor Identification Utility to version 8.0.43 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. 2. Restrict local access to systems running the affected utility by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring local user activities. 3. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect suspicious privilege escalation attempts and anomalous behavior related to the utility. 4. Conduct regular audits of installed software versions across the enterprise to identify and remediate vulnerable instances promptly. 5. Harden user privileges by applying the principle of least privilege, ensuring users have only necessary access rights to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. 6. Employ application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution of unapproved software components that could exploit this vulnerability. 7. Monitor system logs for unusual privilege escalation events or errors related to the Intel Processor Identification Utility. 8. Educate IT staff and users about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of maintaining updated software. 9. Consider network segmentation to limit lateral movement opportunities if an attacker gains local access. 10. Coordinate with Intel and security vendors for any additional advisories or detection signatures related to this vulnerability.