CVE-2026-18485Hinoki check available

Local privilege escalation via improper index validation

Published Aug 5, 2026 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Improper index validation in NI-PAL 26.3.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code. The Windows nipalk.sys kernel driver fails to validate a specified index, position, or offset before using it, although NI has not disclosed the affected interface or operation. Exploitation requires an authenticated local Windows session and can yield code execution with elevated privileges without further user interaction.

CVSS severity8.5
High
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
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Summary

What happened

Improper index validation in NI-PAL 26.3.1 and earlier allows local users to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code. The Windows nipalk.sys kernel driver fails to validate a specified index, position, or offset before using it, although NI has not disclosed the affected interface or operation. Exploitation requires an authenticated local Windows session and can yield code execution with elevated privileges without further user interaction.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-18485
Published
Aug 5, 2026
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
National Instruments
Product
NI-PAL
Classifications
CWE-1285, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 5, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <=26.3.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

National Instruments · NI-PALversion=0 <=26.3.1

Published CVSS scores

8.5National InstrumentsCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
7.8National InstrumentsCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1285Improper Validation of Specified Index, Position, or Offset in Input
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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