Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi CVE-2026-20878

The attacker must be on the same network segment as the target - the same WiFi network, VLAN, or LAN - satisfying the adjacent access requirement (AV:A). Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows must be installed and the wireless adapter must be active and processing network traffic; systems using only the native Windows wireless stack or with the adapter disabled are not exposed. No authentication to the target system is required (PR:N), and no victim interaction is needed (UI:N). Attack complexity is low (AC:L) with no special attack requirements (AT:N), meaning no specific timing, race conditions, or insider knowledge of system state is necessary. Exploitation is strictly limited to denial of service - the CVSS vector confirms no confidentiality or integrity impact (VC:N/VI:N). The adjacent access constraint is the primary factor limiting real-world exposure: Internet-based attackers cannot exploit this without first achieving local network proximity.

The CVSS 4.0 score of 7.1 with AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N reflects a credible denial-of-service threat constrained to adjacent network access, with high availability impact on the vulnerable system and low residual availability impact on subsequent systems (SA:L), suggesting driver crashes may propagate to broader system instability. No EPSS data was included in the source intelligence, and the absence of a KEV listing means active exploitation is not confirmed - however, even a mid-sized municipal IT team in inowroclaw should treat this as a meaningful operational priority given that the adjacent access requirement is routinely satisfied in office, campus, and shared wireless environments where an attacker merely needs to be on the same SSID or LAN segment. The low attack complexity (AC:L) and zero privilege requirements (PR:N) mean exploitation requires no special insider knowledge once a triggering payload is developed. The primary risk mitigant is the adjacency constraint, which eliminates Internet-scale mass exploitation - this is more likely a targeted local-network or insider threat vector than a broadly weaponized remote exploit. No POC is publicly confirmed, which further moderates current exploitation probability.

An attacker connected to the same WiFi access point or LAN segment as the target sends specially crafted wireless frames or network packets that trigger the null pointer dereference in the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi driver running at Ring 2 privilege. The driver exception causes a system crash - likely a Blue Screen of Death on Windows - rendering the target unavailable without requiring any credentials or action from the victim. No public POC has been identified, but the CVSS AC:L rating suggests the trigger condition does not require unusual or precise timing once the relevant packet structure is identified.