Intel yesterday released the , September 2020 Platform Updateswhich fix nine security. One of these issues is a critical vulnerability affecting the Active Management Technology (AMT) and Intel Standard Manageability (ISM) platforms.
Intel ATM is part of Intel vPro, and is primarily used by IT Ops teams to remotely discover, fix, and manage corporate networks/systems.
These issues were detailed in five alerts published by Intel on its Product Security Center , which included security advisories .
Intel provides lists of vulnerable products , advisories, and contact information at the end of each advisory. Contact information is provided so that users can report other security issues that may affect Intel products or technology
Active Management Technology (AMT) vulnerability
The AMT vulnerability has been designated as CVE-2020-8758 and has been rated by Intel as a critical security issue (CVSS score: 9.8). The vulnerability could allow an attacker to incrementally gain more privileges on vulnerable systems, allowing them to access areas they normally shouldn't.
The vulnerability is due to improper restrictions on temporary data in the network subsystem and could allow unauthorized users to “ultimately gain more rights across the entire corporate network.”
All Intel AMT and Intel ISM versions prior to 11.8.79, 11.12.79, 11.22.79, 12.0.68, and 14.0.39 are vulnerable to attacks that can exploit the CVE-2020-8758 vulnerability. Fortunately, the vulnerability does not currently appear to have been exploited by cybercriminals.
In June, Intel patched two other critical vulnerabilities in AMT (CVE-2020-0594 and CVE-2020-0595), with a CVSS score of 9.8.
Intel Platform Update September 2020
Intel's current security updates are listed in the table below, with information about the severity of the vulnerabilities, so users which updates to prioritize.
| Advisory | Advisory ID | Severity rating | CVSS Range |
| Intel AMT and Intel ISM Advisory | INTEL-SA-00404 | CRITICAL | 7.8-9.8 |
| Intel Driver & Support Assistant Advisory | INTEL-SA-00405 | MEDIUM | 4.4 |
| Intel BIOS Advisory | INTEL-SA-00356 | MEDIUM | 2.0-5.1 |
| Intel BIOS Advisory | INTEL-SA-00347 | HIGH | 5.5-7.6 |
Intel recommends that users check the download links provided in the advisories or contact the system manufacturers and operating system vendors to learn how to obtain these updates.
Intel has not found any evidence that the above vulnerabilities have been exploited by hackers, but it advises users to install the new security updates as soon as possible to prevent potential future attacks.
