CVE-2026-80115: PassMark PerformanceTest, BurnInTest, and OSForensics Kernel Crash via DirectIo64.sys MSR Write IOCTL
PassMark PerformanceTest before 11.1 build 1012, BurnInTest before 11.1 build 1000, and OSForensics before 11.1 build 1016 contain a privilege escalation and denial-of-service vulnerability in DirectIo64.sys that allows local attackers to read arbitrary Model-Specific Registers or write zero to any MSR through exposed IOCTLs with insufficient blocklist enforcement. Attackers can exploit the unrestricted write IOCTL to zero out the system call handler MSR, causing an immediate unrecoverable kernel crash on the next system call, or read security-sensitive MSRs used to locate kernel data structures.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What access does an attacker need to trigger the issue?
The attack is local and requires low privileges. No user interaction is required.
Which product releases are affected?
Affected releases are PerformanceTest before 11.1 build 1012, BurnInTest before 11.1 build 1000, and OSForensics before 11.1 build 1016.
What is the practical impact of successful exploitation?
An attacker can write zero to the system call handler MSR, causing an immediate unrecoverable kernel crash when the next system call occurs. They can also read arbitrary MSRs, including security-sensitive registers that may help locate kernel data structures.