CVE-2025-20106 is a vulnerability identified in Intel's VTune Profiler software and Intel oneAPI Base Toolkits prior to version 2025.0. The root cause is an uncontrolled search path in the software installer, which can be manipulated by a local authenticated user to escalate privileges within the system. This vulnerability exists within Ring 3 user applications, meaning it affects user-level processes rather than kernel-level components. Exploitation requires a high level of attack complexity and active user interaction, such as executing a malicious installer or manipulating the installation environment to load unauthorized code or binaries. The attacker must have local access and authenticated user privileges, but does not require special internal knowledge of the system. The vulnerability can lead to significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, modify or corrupt data, or disrupt system operations. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), reflecting the local attack vector, high complexity, required privileges, and user interaction. No public exploits have been reported, but the vulnerability should be addressed promptly to prevent potential exploitation. Intel has not yet published patches at the time of this report, so monitoring for updates is critical.

For European organizations, especially those in software development, engineering, and research sectors that utilize Intel VTune Profiler and oneAPI Base Toolkits, this vulnerability poses a risk of local privilege escalation. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive development environments, intellectual property theft, or disruption of critical software build and profiling processes. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is rated high, meaning that compromised systems could suffer data breaches, unauthorized modifications, or operational outages. Organizations with distributed development teams or shared workstations are at increased risk if local user accounts are compromised or if malicious insiders exist. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in environments with less stringent endpoint security or where social engineering could induce user interaction. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not preclude future attacks, especially as attackers may develop exploits once patches are released.

1. Monitor Intel’s official channels for patches addressing CVE-2025-20106 and apply updates promptly once available. 2. Restrict local user privileges to the minimum necessary, avoiding granting administrative rights to standard users who install or run VTune or oneAPI tools. 3. Implement application whitelisting and integrity verification on installer files to prevent execution of unauthorized or tampered installers. 4. Educate users about the risks of executing untrusted installers and the importance of verifying software sources. 5. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious installer behavior or privilege escalation attempts. 6. Use network segmentation and access controls to limit local access to development machines running these Intel tools. 7. Regularly audit local user accounts and installed software to detect unauthorized changes or installations. 8. Consider deploying virtualization or containerization for development environments to isolate potential exploitation impacts.