CVE-2026-20786 in NPU Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 08/12/2026
Out-of-bounds read for the Intel(R) NPU Driver for all versions within Ring 3: User Applications may allow a denial of service. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a low complexity attack may enable denial of service. 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 (none), integrity (low) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/12/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical out-of-bounds read condition within the Intel NPU driver component that operates at Ring 3 level, affecting all versions of the driver. The flaw manifests when user applications interact with the NPU driver through standard system calls and memory operations, creating an opportunity for unauthorized code execution or system instability. The vulnerability exists in the driver's handling of input data structures and buffer management functions, where insufficient bounds checking allows memory access beyond allocated boundaries. This particular issue is classified as a CWE-129 weakness, representing an implementation flaw that occurs when programs fail to validate array indices or buffer limits before accessing memory locations.
The attack vector for this vulnerability requires local system access with authenticated user privileges, making it accessible to adversaries who already have login credentials or system access. The low complexity attack requirements mean that the exploit can be developed and executed without significant technical expertise or specialized tools. Attackers can leverage this weakness by crafting malicious input sequences that trigger the out-of-bounds memory read during normal driver operations, potentially causing kernel crashes or system hangs. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which covers local privilege escalation and system compromise through kernel-level vulnerabilities. The successful exploitation results in a denial of service condition that can disrupt normal system operations and potentially allow further attack progression.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it represents a fundamental failure in memory safety controls within the Intel NPU driver implementation. System availability is significantly affected at high severity levels since the out-of-bounds read can cause complete system crashes or kernel panics, requiring manual intervention and system restarts. The integrity impact is rated as low because while the system may not corrupt data directly, the instability created by the vulnerability could lead to inconsistent system states. Confidentiality remains unaffected at none level since no sensitive data disclosure occurs through this specific weakness, though the system stability impacts may indirectly affect data access availability. The vulnerability's presence in Ring 3 applications means that even unprivileged users can potentially leverage this flaw, making it particularly concerning for multi-user systems or environments where user isolation is critical.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate driver updates from Intel to address the bounds checking deficiencies and implement proper memory validation controls. System administrators should consider restricting user privileges and implementing least-privilege access controls to limit potential exploitation opportunities. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of comprehensive input validation in all system components, particularly those handling untrusted data from user applications. Organizations should also monitor for additional vulnerabilities in similar driver implementations and ensure regular security assessments of system components that interact with hardware accelerators or specialized processing units. Network segmentation and intrusion detection systems can help identify potential exploitation attempts, while maintaining updated security patches provides the most effective defense against this particular vulnerability. The flaw underscores the necessity of robust memory safety practices throughout software development lifecycle processes to prevent such critical issues in system-level drivers.