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NI-PAL CVE-2026-18485

| EUVDEUVD-2026-53579 HIGH
Improper Validation of Specified Index, Position, or Offset in Input (CWE-1285)
2026-08-05 NI GHSA-mw2w-74q7-6fc4
8.5
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: NI
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Severity by source

Vendor (NI) PRIMARY
8.5 HIGH
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
vuln.today AI
7.8 HIGH

Local kernel driver attack requires only a low-privilege session; no scope change beyond the vulnerable system; full CIA impact upon successful escalation.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (NI).

CVSS VectorVendor: NI

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
X

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Analysis Generated
Aug 05, 2026 - 19:34 vuln.today
CVE Published
Aug 05, 2026 - 18:39 cve.org
HIGH 8.5

DescriptionCVE.org

There is a local privilege escalation vulnerability recently discovered in the NI-PAL kernel driver.  This may allow a local, authenticated user to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code.  This vulnerability affects NI-PAL 26.3.1 and prior versions running on Microsoft Windows.

AnalysisAI

Local privilege escalation in the NI-PAL kernel driver allows a low-privileged authenticated Windows user to escalate to SYSTEM-level and execute arbitrary code, as confirmed by the NI vendor advisory. Affected deployments include NI-PAL versions 26.3.1 and all prior releases running exclusively on Microsoft Windows. …

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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata

Access
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Delivery
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Exploit
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Execution
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Persist
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Impact
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Vulnerability AssessmentAI

Exploitation Exploitation requires a valid low-privileged local user session on a Windows host where NI-PAL 26.3.1 or an earlier version is installed and the kernel driver is loaded - the CVSS 4.0 vector PR:L confirms low-privileged authentication is sufficient and no user interaction is needed (UI:N). … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment.
Risk Assessment The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 is grounded in a local attack vector (AV:L), low complexity (AC:L), no attack requirements (AT:N), low privilege entry (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and full CIA impact on the vulnerable system (VC:H/VI:H/VA:H) with no scope change to downstream systems (SC:N/SI:N/SA:N). … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in.
Exploit Scenario Full exploit scenario with step-by-step reproduction available after sign-in.
Remediation Consult the NI security advisory at https://www.ni.com/en/support/security/available-critical-and-security-updates-for-ni-software/2026/local-privilege-escalation-in-ni-pal.html to obtain the patched release - an exact fixed version number is not independently confirmed from the available data, so the advisory is the authoritative source for upgrade instructions. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report.

Recommended ActionAI

Within 24 hours: Inventory all Windows deployments of NI-PAL versions 26.3.1 and earlier; categorize systems by user population and access level to prioritize mitigation efforts. …

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CVE-2026-18485 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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