CVE-2026-20741 Overview
CVE-2026-20741 is an improper access control vulnerability [CWE-284] affecting Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software device drivers operating within Ring 2. The flaw allows an unprivileged, unauthenticated local attacker to trigger a denial of service condition on the host system. Intel disclosed the issue in security advisory SA-01422. Exploitation requires no user interaction and no special internal knowledge of the driver. The vulnerability primarily impacts system availability, with a limited secondary integrity impact on the surrounding operating environment.
Critical Impact
A local, unprivileged process can crash or hang the wireless driver stack, disrupting network connectivity and potentially destabilizing the host operating system.
Affected Products
- Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software device drivers (Ring 2 kernel components)
- Systems running vulnerable versions listed in Intel Security Advisory SA-01422
- Windows endpoints and mobile platforms shipping Intel wireless adapters with the affected driver stack
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-11 - CVE-2026-20741 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-08-12 - Last updated in NVD
- 2026-08-13 - EPSS score published at 0.121% (percentile 2.207)
Technical Details for CVE-2026-20741
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software device drivers that operate in Ring 2 privilege space. Improper access control [CWE-284] allows unprivileged user-mode code to reach driver interfaces that should be restricted. Because the driver executes in a privileged ring below the operating system kernel scheduler, malformed or unexpected requests propagate directly into a critical system component. The result is a denial of service condition affecting the wireless subsystem and, in some conditions, the availability of the surrounding operating environment.
Root Cause
The root cause is missing or insufficient authorization enforcement on driver entry points exposed by the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software. The affected code paths accept input from callers without validating that the caller holds the privilege level required to invoke the operation. This design flaw enables local software adversaries to reach privileged driver functionality through a low-complexity attack path.
Attack Vector
An attacker requires only local code execution as an unprivileged user. No authentication, no elevated tokens, and no user interaction are required. The attacker issues crafted requests to the vulnerable driver interface. The driver enters an inconsistent state, terminating wireless connectivity and producing knock-on availability effects on dependent services. Remote exploitation is not in scope. Intel Security Advisory SA-01422 lists the specific driver versions and fixed builds.
No public proof-of-concept or in-the-wild exploitation has been reported. See the Intel Security Advisory SA-01422 for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-20741
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected wireless adapter resets, driver stops, or Netwtw*.sys bugcheck events in the Windows Event Log
- Repeated WHEA-Logger or Kernel-PnP warnings correlated with the Intel wireless driver
- Loss of WLAN connectivity following execution of an untrusted local process
Detection Strategies
- Monitor endpoints for kernel-mode faults or driver crashes tied to Intel PROSet/Wireless components
- Correlate process creation telemetry with subsequent driver reset or NDIS miniport failure events
- Alert on non-administrative processes issuing high volumes of DeviceIoControl calls to wireless driver device objects
Monitoring Recommendations
- Track deployed Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi driver versions across the fleet against the fixed versions in Intel SA-01422
- Ingest Windows System and Application event logs into a central data lake for driver-crash pattern analysis
- Baseline normal wireless driver stability metrics so anomalous reset rates surface quickly
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-20741
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory endpoints running Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software and identify hosts on vulnerable driver versions
- Deploy the driver updates referenced in Intel Security Advisory SA-01422 through your standard patch pipeline
- Restrict local execution privileges for untrusted users on systems that cannot be patched immediately
Patch Information
Intel has published fixed driver builds in Intel Security Advisory SA-01422. Apply the vendor-provided updates through Windows Update, Intel Driver & Support Assistant, or your enterprise software distribution tooling. Reboot affected systems after installation to unload the vulnerable driver image.
Workarounds
- Disable the Intel wireless adapter on systems that do not require WLAN connectivity until the update is applied
- Enforce application allowlisting to prevent unprivileged, untrusted binaries from executing on managed endpoints
- Limit interactive local logon rights to reduce exposure of the vulnerable driver interface
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
