CVE-2023-26596

Vulnerability

An improper access control vulnerability exists in Intel(R) Thunderbolt(TM) DCH drivers for Windows prior to version 88, as reported in Intel advisory [1]. The flaw resides in the driver's handling of access permissions, allowing an authenticated user to trigger a denial of service condition via local access. Affected versions include all releases before version 88.

Exploitation

An attacker must have local access to the system and be authenticated as a user. No additional privileges are required beyond standard user rights. The attacker can exploit the improper access control to cause the driver to enter an unstable state, leading to a denial of service.

Impact

Successful exploitation results in a denial of service condition, potentially causing system instability or crashes. The impact is limited to availability, with no indication of information disclosure or privilege escalation.

Mitigation

Intel has released updated drivers version 88 to address this vulnerability. Users should update to the latest version from Intel's support site. No workarounds are documented. The vulnerability is not listed in the KEV catalog as of the publication date.