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Hardware

CVE-2026-20898

8.5
High
EPSS 0.12%Patch availableAug 12, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Intel Xeon firmware (Alias Checking Trusted Module).

common questions

Is CVE-2026-20898 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-20898 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.12% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-20898?

CVE-2026-20898 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.5. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-20898?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-20898. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-20898 affect?

CVE-2026-20898 affects Intel Xeon processors (some models), Alias Checking Trusted Module firmware, Startup code and System Management Mode (SMM), Server/compute platforms using affected CPUs. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-20898?

Restrict local admin access, apply vendor firmware/BIOS updates when released, monitor SMM and firmware integrity.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Intel Xeon processors (some models)Alias Checking Trusted Module firmwareStartup code and System Management Mode (SMM)Server/compute platforms using affected CPUs
impact

Local privileged user with special knowledge can escalate to SMM/firmware control, compromising system confidentiality and integrity.

action required

Patch when possible

affected versions
in Alias Checking Trusted Module for some Intel(R) Xeon(R) processors may allow an escalation of privilege. Startup code and SMM adversary with a privileged user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present without 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 (high), integrity (high) and availability (none) impacts.
  • affectedSee references

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
NVDCVE.orgCVE DetailsSource
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