CVE-2026-24099: Intel PROSet WiFi Use After Free Flaw

CVE-2026-24099 Overview

CVE-2026-24099 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows. The flaw resides within Ring 0 kernel code, where the driver references memory after it has been freed. A local, unauthenticated attacker can trigger the condition to cause a denial of service on the affected system. The vulnerability affects only availability; confidentiality and integrity are not impacted. Intel documents the issue in Intel Security Advisory SA-01468.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation crashes the Windows kernel, forcing a system reboot and interrupting availability of any workloads running on the host.

Affected Products

Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows
Windows systems running the vulnerable Intel wireless kernel driver
Endpoints and laptops relying on Intel wireless adapters managed by PROSet/Wireless

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-11 - CVE-2026-24099 published to NVD
2026-08-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24099

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2026-24099 is a kernel-mode use-after-free in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows. The driver operates in Ring 0, meaning any memory-safety violation directly affects kernel stability. When the driver frees an object but retains a reference to it, subsequent access dereferences memory that may already be reallocated or reclaimed. In kernel context, this leads to memory corruption and a bug check, terminating the operating system session.

Intel classifies the issue as exploitable by a system-software adversary with an unauthenticated user account. No user interaction is required. Attack complexity is high, indicating the attacker must satisfy specific timing or state conditions to reliably reach the vulnerable code path. The EPSS score is 0.132%, reflecting a low predicted probability of near-term exploitation. Impact is limited to availability of the local system; subsequent systems are not affected.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper object lifetime management inside the Ring 0 wireless driver. A code path releases an allocation, then later dereferences or operates on the same pointer without validating that it still references live memory. Because the flaw executes in kernel mode, the invalid access is not contained to a user process.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the target host and interaction with the wireless driver interface, likely through IOCTLs or wireless subsystem APIs exposed to userland. The attacker triggers a sequence that causes the driver to free an internal structure while a concurrent code path still holds a reference. When the freed object is accessed, the kernel faults and the host halts.

No public proof-of-concept or exploit code is available for CVE-2026-24099. Technical details are limited to the vendor advisory; see Intel Security Advisory SA-01468 for authoritative information.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24099

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected Windows bug checks referencing Intel wireless driver modules such as Netwtw*.sys in memory dump analysis.
Repeated system crashes correlating with wireless activity or driver load and unload events.
Event Log entries under System showing WHEA errors or BugCheck events after user-mode processes interact with the wireless stack.

Detection Strategies

Monitor kernel crash telemetry for stop codes originating in Intel PROSet/Wireless driver binaries and correlate with the running driver version.
Inventory endpoints to identify hosts running vulnerable versions of Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software and prioritize them for patch validation.
Alert on unsigned or unexpected user-mode processes issuing IOCTLs to wireless driver device objects.

Monitoring Recommendations

Collect and centralize Windows MEMORY.DMP and minidump files for post-crash triage to identify use-after-free signatures in wireless driver code.
Track driver version drift across managed endpoints to confirm patch deployment progress.
Enable Windows Error Reporting forwarding to your SIEM so recurring crashes tied to Intel wireless components are visible to the SOC.

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24099

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the updated Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software version referenced in Intel Security Advisory SA-01468 as soon as it is available for your platform.
Inventory Windows endpoints with Intel wireless adapters and confirm installed driver versions against the vendor's fixed release.
Restrict local access on high-value hosts to reduce the population of accounts that could trigger the vulnerable code path.

Patch Information

Intel has published guidance and updated software in Intel Security Advisory SA-01468. Administrators should follow the advisory to obtain the fixed version of Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows and deploy it through standard patch management workflows. Validate driver version post-installation and reboot affected systems to load the updated kernel module.

Workarounds

Disable the Intel wireless adapter on systems that do not require WiFi connectivity until the patched driver is deployed.
Enforce standard user privileges and remove unnecessary local logon rights to reduce the attack surface for local denial-of-service attempts.
Use wired network connections on critical hosts where WiFi is not operationally required, allowing the vulnerable driver to remain unloaded.

bash

# Configuration example: query and disable the Intel wireless adapter on Windows via PowerShell
Get-NetAdapter | Where-Object { $_.InterfaceDescription -like "*Intel*Wireless*" }
Disable-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -Confirm:$false