CVE-2026-20738: High severity Intel QuickAssist Adapter 8960 vulnerability

Published May 12, 2026
·
Updated

Untrusted pointer dereference for some Intel(R) QuickAssist Adapter 8960 software before version 1.13 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a low complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present without special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

Affected Software

1 affected component
Intel QuickAssist Adapter 8960<1.13

Event History

May 12, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·04:34 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·04:34 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·05:16 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-20738?

CVE-2026-20738 is considered a medium severity vulnerability that could allow escalation of privileges.

2

How do I fix CVE-2026-20738?

To fix CVE-2026-20738, update your Intel QuickAssist Adapter 8960 software to version 1.13 or later.

3

Who is affected by CVE-2026-20738?

CVE-2026-20738 affects users of Intel QuickAssist Adapter 8960 software versions prior to 1.13.

4

What type of attack does CVE-2026-20738 allow?

CVE-2026-20738 allows unprivileged software adversaries to escalate privileges through a low complexity attack.

5

Is CVE-2026-20738 exploitable remotely?

CVE-2026-20738 requires an authenticated user, thus making its exploitation dependent on local access.

Contact

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