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NI grpc-device EUVDEUVD-2026-38028

| CVE-2026-48140 HIGH
Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast (CWE-704)
2026-06-19 NI
7.1
CVSS 4.0 · Vendor: NI
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged gRPC credentials
  2. Delivery
    Reach grpc-device listener on test network
  3. Exploit
    Send crafted BeginSidebandStream with out-of-range enum
  4. Execution
    Trigger unchecked enum cast and undefined behavior
  5. Persist
    Crash grpc-device server process
  6. Impact
    Deny instrument access to all clients

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Correct type conversion
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires network reachability to the NI grpc-device server's gRPC listener and low-privileged authentication to invoke the BeginSidebandStream RPC (CVSS PR:L), plus the ability to craft a protobuf message with an integer value outside the declared enum range for the sideband-stream parameter. Limiting factors are the PR:L authentication requirement (an entirely anonymous Internet attacker cannot exploit it without first obtaining gRPC service credentials), the requirement that the target be running grpc-device 2.17.0 or earlier, and that grpc-device deployments are typically constrained to lab or test-bench networks rather than exposed to the open Internet, which reduces realistic attack surface. No user interaction is required (UI:N) and attack complexity is low (AC:L), so once a credentialed attacker can reach the endpoint, exploitation is trivial.

Impact

The CVSS 4.0 vector AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N with VA:H and VC:N/VI:N indicates a low-complexity network-reachable denial of service requiring some level of authentication (PR:L), scoring 7.1. No EPSS, KEV, or POC data was supplied - no public exploit identified at time of analysis and not on CISA KEV - so the realistic risk is limited to environments where grpc-device is exposed to semi-trusted clients on a lab or shared test network. The impact is bounded: integrity and confidentiality are explicitly not affected, only availability of the instrumentation service, which is nonetheless meaningful in production test rigs where an unavailable instrument server stalls hardware-in-the-loop pipelines. Authentication requirements per CVSS PR:L indicate a low-privileged credentialed attacker, which is consistent with grpc-device's typical deployment where clients possess service credentials.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has obtained low-privileged gRPC credentials - for example a shared lab service account or a compromised engineering workstation on the test network - connects to the grpc-device server and issues a BeginSidebandStream call with a protobuf field set to an integer outside the defined enum range. The unchecked cast yields undefined behavior in the server's dispatch logic, crashing the grpc-device process and taking down all instrument control sessions for connected clients. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but a one-line protobuf modification using grpcurl or a custom client is sufficient given knowledge of the message schema, which is open source.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Jun 19, 2026

Denial of service in NI grpc-device 2.17.0 and earlier allows an authenticated remote attacker to crash or destabilize the gRPC server by sending a crafted BeginSidebandStream message containing an out-of-range enum value. The unchecked cast triggers undefined behavior in the server process, with no public exploit identified at time of analysis. The flaw is reported by the vendor and tracked under GHSA-prfr-q8h3-mqxv.

RemediationAI

Upgrade NI grpc-device to a version later than 2.17.0 per the NI security bulletin at https://www.ni.com/en/support/security/available-critical-and-security-updates-for-ni-software/2026/multiple-vulnerabilities-in-ni-grpc-device-server.html and the upstream advisory at https://github.com/ni/grpc-device/security/advisories/GHSA-prfr-q8h3-mqxv; the input data lists patch availability but does not pin a single fixed version, so consult those advisories for the exact build to deploy (patch available per vendor advisory). As compensating controls until patching, restrict network access to the grpc-device TLS/HTTP2 listener via firewall ACLs so only known instrument-control clients can reach it, enforce mutual TLS or strong session authentication on the gRPC endpoint to raise the bar above the PR:L threshold, and place the server on an isolated test-bench VLAN - the trade-off is reduced flexibility for ad-hoc remote engineers and the need to manage allowlists or client certificates. Reviewing InstrumentStudio installations for bundled vulnerable grpc-device binaries is also recommended since the same CPE is flagged.

Affected VersionsENISA

grpc-device 0 ≤2.17.0
InstrumentStudio 0 ≤26.3.0

Affected Packages

euvd grpc_device no fix
euvd instrumentstudio no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 2 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

NI grpc-device is National Instruments' gRPC server that exposes hardware instrument control APIs (NI-DAQmx, NI-VISA, etc.) over the network, commonly used alongside NI InstrumentStudio for distributed test and measurement deployments. The BeginSidebandStream RPC accepts a protobuf message containing an enumerated field that is cast to a native C++ enum without bounds validation, the classic CWE-704 (Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast) pattern. When a value outside the declared enum range is supplied, the resulting enum object holds an undefined value, which can drive switch/case branching off a valid code path and produce undefined behavior, including process termination. CPEs cpe:2.3:a:ni:grpc-device and cpe:2.3:a:ni:instrumentstudio confirm both server and bundled-tooling exposure.

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Severity by source

Vendor (NI) PRIMARY 7.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
vuln.today AI 6.5 MEDIUM

Network-reachable gRPC RPC (AV:N) with trivial crafted payload (AC:L) requires authenticated low-privileged caller (PR:L), no UI, scope unchanged, availability-only impact from server crash.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (NI).

CVSS VectorVendor: NI

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Requirements
None
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Vulnerable system: Confidentiality
None
Vulnerable system: Integrity
None
Vulnerable system: Availability
High
Subsequent system: Confidentiality
None
Subsequent system: Integrity
None
Subsequent system: Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Severity Changed
Jun 19, 2026 - 14:22 NVD
MEDIUM HIGH
CVSS changed
Jun 19, 2026 - 14:22 NVD
6.5 (MEDIUM) 7.1 (HIGH)

DescriptionCVE.org

There is an unchecked enum cast vulnerability in NI grpc-device BeginSidebandStream that may allow an attacker to trigger invalid enum states and undefined behavior, potentially resulting in a denial of service. Successful exploitation requires an attacker to supply a specially crafted message containing an out-of-range value. This affects NI grpc-device 2.17.0 and prior versions.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

NI grpc-device versions 2.17.0 and earlier are vulnerable to authenticated denial-of-service attacks that crash the gRPC server, disrupting operational continuity for research, manufacturing, and instrumentation systems that depend on this critical component. With no vendor patch currently available, organizations must implement immediate access controls to limit exposure to trusted users only. The vulnerability poses significant availability risk for any infrastructure relying on NI's industrial or scientific automation platforms.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: (1) Apply principle of least privilege-restrict network access to gRPC services via firewall or VPN, limiting the population of authenticated users who can reach the service; (2) implement monitoring and alerting for unexpected server crashes or repeated restart cycles; (3) maintain validated backup and recovery procedures to restore service rapidly in case of exploitation; (4) periodically audit user credentials and access permissions for systems with gRPC connectivity; (5) consider isolating affected systems to segmented networks until patch availability.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 84% exploitable
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

36
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +36
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Denial of Service attacks render applications or systems unavailable by overwhelming resources or triggering failure conditions.

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