Intel Discloses Information on 34 Vulnerabilities in Its Processors, Chipsets, and Utilities

Intel Announces Measures to Rectify 34 Newly Discovered Vulnerabilities

Intel periodically discloses vulnerabilities discovered in its products only after the manufacturer has taken steps to rectify them. The company works closely with software developers and motherboard manufacturers to tackle such issues. Recently, Intel announced that it has uncovered 34 new vulnerabilities in its products.

Vulnerabilities Spanning Multiple Components Uncovered

As explained by Tom’s Hardware, the group of vulnerabilities is diverse from an information security perspective, affecting various client system components. These range from processors and chipsets to Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt controllers. In the case of the latter, users can safeguard against malicious activities by updating controller drivers. Specifically, 20 vulnerabilities found at the Thunderbolt driver level allow intruders with physical access to the targeted PCs to escalate their privileges, conduct denial-of-service attacks, and steal data. Only one among these Thunderbolt vulnerabilities allows remote access to the targeted PC, but its risk level is classified as moderate.

Intel Implements Fixes in Latest Versions of Vulnerable Utilities

XTU utilities, oneAPI Toolkit, and Intel Unison have also been found susceptible to various types of vulnerabilities. However, all these vulnerabilities have been remedied in the newest versions. Several other Intel utilities, with which users typically do not directly interact, were also vulnerable. These vulnerabilities were corrected during the update process. Essentially, Intel only refrained from fixing a security loophole in the System Usage Report for Gameplay utility. Since the utility is no longer distributed, users are simply advised to uninstall it.