CVE-2025-20090 is a vulnerability identified in Intel(R) QuickAssist Technology (QAT) software versions prior to 2.5.0. The issue stems from an untrusted pointer dereference, which can be triggered by an authenticated user with local access to the system. This flaw allows the attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition by exploiting improper handling of pointers within the QAT software. Intel QuickAssist Technology is a hardware acceleration solution designed to offload cryptographic and compression workloads, commonly used in enterprise servers, network appliances, and data center environments to improve performance. The vulnerability requires local privileges (low complexity) but does not require user interaction beyond authentication, and it does not affect confidentiality or integrity directly. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.8, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is local, with low attack complexity and no user interaction needed, but it requires the attacker to have some level of privileges on the system. Exploitation results in denial of service, potentially causing system instability or service interruption. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date. No patches or mitigation links were provided in the source data, indicating that organizations should monitor Intel advisories for updates. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for environments that deploy Intel QAT-enabled hardware and software stacks, including cloud service providers, telecommunications infrastructure, and enterprise data centers that rely on hardware acceleration for cryptographic operations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20090 can be significant in sectors relying heavily on Intel QAT technology, such as telecommunications, cloud infrastructure providers, financial institutions, and large enterprises with data centers. A successful denial of service attack could disrupt critical services that depend on accelerated cryptographic or compression functions, leading to downtime, degraded performance, or service unavailability. This could affect business continuity, regulatory compliance (especially under GDPR where availability is a component of data protection), and customer trust. Since the vulnerability requires local authenticated access, the risk is higher in environments where multiple users have access to systems running vulnerable QAT software or where attackers can escalate privileges to gain local access. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time. European organizations with multi-tenant environments or managed service providers could face increased exposure if attackers leverage this vulnerability to disrupt services for multiple clients.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting local access to systems running Intel QAT software to trusted and authorized personnel only, minimizing the risk of exploitation by unauthorized users. 2. Implement strict privilege management and monitoring to detect and prevent unauthorized privilege escalation that could enable exploitation of this vulnerability. 3. Regularly audit and harden system configurations to reduce the attack surface, including disabling unnecessary services or interfaces that could provide local access. 4. Monitor Intel’s official security advisories and promptly apply patches or updates once Intel releases a fix for versions prior to 2.5.0. 5. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) and endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts targeting QAT software. 6. For critical environments, consider isolating systems with Intel QAT hardware from less trusted networks or users to limit exposure. 7. Conduct regular security training to raise awareness among system administrators about the risks associated with local privilege vulnerabilities and the importance of access controls.