CVE-2026-21400

Local privilege escalation via undisclosed protection failure

Published Aug 11, 2026 · Updated Aug 11, 2026

Protection mechanism failure in Intel AI Reference Models 3.4.1 downloaded before September 26, 2025 allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel has not disclosed the affected script, model, protection check, or unsafe operation that defeats the protection. Exploitation requires high privileges, passive user interaction, and an additional attack condition; success compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the Ring 3 application context.

CVSS severity5.4
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Protection mechanism failure in Intel AI Reference Models 3.4.1 downloaded before September 26, 2025 allows local users to escalate privileges. Intel has not disclosed the affected script, model, protection check, or unsafe operation that defeats the protection. Exploitation requires high privileges, passive user interaction, and an additional attack condition; success compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the Ring 3 application context.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-21400
Published
Aug 11, 2026
Updated
Aug 11, 2026
Vendor
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.
Product
Intel AI Reference Models
Classifications
CWE-693, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 11, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 11, 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=before version v3.4.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. · Intel AI Reference Modelsversion=before version v3.4.1

Published CVSS scores

5.4IntelCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:H/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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.

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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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-693Protection Mechanism Failure
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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