CVE-2023-45217 is a high severity improper access control flaw in Intel Power Gadget for Windows, scored 8.8 in NVD. An authenticated local user may be able to escalate privileges. Intel is not releasing a fix for the product, so the remedy is to uninstall it.
What's affected
The NVD record says all versions of Intel Power Gadget for Windows are affected. Intel's advisory, SA-01037, is more specific: it lists Power Gadget for Windows before 3.6.0 and for macOS before 3.7.0 across a group of related CVEs, and this one is the Windows improper access control issue scored 8.8.
That is a small difference between the two sources, and it matters less than it looks. Intel states that it is not releasing updates. The product carries a Product Discontinuation Notice, and Intel recommends that users uninstall it or stop using it at their earliest convenience.
The vector in the record is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H. That reads as local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and a changed scope. Intel's advisory notes that all the listed issues need local access and an authenticated user.
How to check if you're exposed
Power Gadget is a desktop tool for reading CPU power and frequency data, so it tends to sit on developer and performance engineering machines rather than on servers. Check endpoint inventory first.
On a single Windows machine, this PowerShell command lists installed programs whose name matches:
Get-ItemProperty HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\* | Where-Object DisplayName -like "*Power Gadget*" | Select DisplayName, DisplayVersion
If you use an endpoint management tool, search its software inventory for the same name. Any hit on Windows is in scope, because there is no fixed release to compare against.
What to do now
- Search your endpoint inventory for Intel Power Gadget on Windows.
- Uninstall it from every machine where it is not clearly needed, which is what Intel recommends.
- If a team still needs power readings, pick a supported tool and record who approved the change.
- Treat shared or multi-user Windows machines that had the tool as higher priority, since the flaw is about a local user gaining more rights.
- Add the tool to a blocked software list so it does not return with a new image.
Why it matters
The weakness is improper access control, CWE-284, with CWE-1220 attached in the record (insufficient granularity of access control). In plain terms, something in the tool lets a low privileged account do things that should be reserved for a higher one. Monitoring utilities often install drivers or services that run with high rights, which is why they are interesting to a local attacker.
The CVE is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, and Intel's advisory does not report exploitation. The practical risk is on shared machines and after another foothold, where an extra step up in privileges helps an intruder. Because no patch is coming, the only durable fix is removal.
Safeguard's free in-browser dependency scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan reads the manifests and lockfiles of software projects. It will not see firmware or device images, so for this issue the asset inventory and the vendor advisory are your main tools.
The record also lists CWE-284 for this CVE.
The record also lists CWE-1220 for this CVE.
Quick check
Is there a patched version I can install?
Not according to Intel. SA-01037 says Intel is not releasing updates and recommends uninstalling the product.
Does this need a remote attacker?
No. The record and the advisory describe local access by an authenticated user.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
