CVE-2025-35998: Escalation of Privilege in Intel(R) Platforms
Missing protection mechanism for alternate hardware interface in the Intel(R) Quick Assist Technology for some Intel(R) Platforms within Ring 0: Kernel may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a low 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.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
This vulnerability arises from a missing protection mechanism in the Intel(R) Quick Assist Technology on certain Intel(R) Platforms at the kernel level (Ring 0). A local attacker with privileged user access and special internal knowledge can exploit this low complexity vulnerability to escalate privileges, potentially compromising system confidentiality and integrity. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.0, indicating high severity. Red Hat has released a microcode_ctl update for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 to mitigate this issue.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows escalation of privilege by a system software adversary with privileged user access, potentially compromising system confidentiality and integrity. Availability is not impacted. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
A security update is available from Red Hat in the form of a microcode_ctl package update for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0. Applying this microcode update addresses the vulnerability. Users should follow Red Hat's official guidance to apply the update as detailed in their advisory (RHSA-2026:6888).
CVE-2025-35998: Escalation of Privilege in Intel(R) Platforms
Description
Missing protection mechanism for alternate hardware interface in the Intel(R) Quick Assist Technology for some Intel(R) Platforms within Ring 0: Kernel may allow an escalation of privilege. System software adversary with a privileged user combined with a low 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.
CVSS v4.0
Score 7.0high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability arises from a missing protection mechanism in the Intel(R) Quick Assist Technology on certain Intel(R) Platforms at the kernel level (Ring 0). A local attacker with privileged user access and special internal knowledge can exploit this low complexity vulnerability to escalate privileges, potentially compromising system confidentiality and integrity. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.0, indicating high severity. Red Hat has released a microcode_ctl update for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0 to mitigate this issue.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability allows escalation of privilege by a system software adversary with privileged user access, potentially compromising system confidentiality and integrity. Availability is not impacted. There are no known exploits in the wild at this time.
Mitigation Recommendations
A security update is available from Red Hat in the form of a microcode_ctl package update for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10.0. Applying this microcode update addresses the vulnerability. Users should follow Red Hat's official guidance to apply the update as detailed in their advisory (RHSA-2026:6888).
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- intel
- Date Reserved
- 2025-04-15T21:18:44.490Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-35998","vendor":"Red Hat"},{"url":"https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:6888","vendor":"Red Hat"}]
Threat ID: 698b5d5f4b57a58fa119cfb0
Added to database: 02/10/2026, 16:31:27 UTC
Last enriched: 07/15/2026, 08:18:08 UTC
Last updated: 09/10/2026, 19:36:50 UTC
Views: 300
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