CVE-2025-20026
📋 TL;DR
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows could allow an unauthenticated attacker on the same network to cause denial of service. This affects Windows systems with vulnerable Intel WiFi drivers before version 23.100. The attacker must be within wireless range of the target device.
💻 Affected Systems
- Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software for Windows
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system crash or persistent WiFi disruption requiring reboot, potentially affecting business operations on vulnerable devices.
Likely Case
Temporary WiFi disconnection or degraded wireless performance until system recovery.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and updated drivers.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires wireless adjacency and knowledge of vulnerable systems. No public exploit code known at this time.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version 23.100 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01270.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download Intel Driver & Support Assistant from Intel website. 2. Run the tool to detect vulnerable drivers. 3. Follow prompts to update to version 23.100 or later. 4. Restart system after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable WiFi temporarily
windowsDisable wireless connectivity to prevent exploitation while planning updates.
netsh interface set interface "Wi-Fi" admin=disable
Network segmentation
allIsolate wireless networks from critical systems using VLANs or firewalls.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict wireless network access controls and monitoring
- Deploy network intrusion detection systems to monitor for WiFi disruption attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check driver version in Device Manager under Network adapters > Intel(R) Wireless adapter > Driver tab. Version should be 23.100 or higher.Check Version:
wmic path win32_pnpsigneddriver where "devicename like '%Intel%Wireless%'" get devicename, driverversionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version shows 23.100 or later in Device Manager and WiFi connectivity functions normally.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unexpected WiFi disconnections
- Driver crash events in Windows Event Log
- System logs showing network adapter errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual wireless traffic patterns
- Multiple connection attempts to same device
- Malformed WiFi packets
SIEM Query:
EventID=1001 OR EventID=1000 Source="Intel Wireless Driver" OR "WiFi adapter reset"