dbcve.org
NULL Pointer DereferenceWeakness · CWE-476

CVE-2024-39356

HIGH · 7.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
79/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
NULL pointer dereference in some Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killerâ„¢ WiFi software for Windows before version 23.80 may allow an unauthenticated user to potentially enable denial of service via adjacent access.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability exists in Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi software for Windows versions prior to 23.80. An unauthenticated attacker within adjacent WiFi range can send specially crafted packets that dereference a NULL pointer, causing the WiFi service to crash and resulting in denial of service.

MitigationUpdate Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi or Killer WiFi software to version 23.80 or later to patch the vulnerability. No configuration-based workarounds are available.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Intel PROSet or Killer WiFi software is installed
    Open Windows Settings > Apps & Features (or Programs and Features in Control Panel) and search for 'Intel PROSet' or 'Killer' wireless software. Alternatively, check Device Manager under Network adapters for Intel or Killer wireless adapters.
    Affected if Either Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi or Killer WiFi software is present on the system
  2. Identify the installed wireless software version
    Open the Intel PROSet utility (if present) and navigate to Help > About, or right-click the wireless adapter in Device Manager, select Properties, and check the Driver tab for version information. For Killer software, open the Killer Control Center and check the version shown in the application.
    Affected if Unable to determine the version from the utility or driver properties
  3. Compare installed version against affected range
    Compare the identified version number to 23.80. Note that version formats may appear as '23.80', '23.8.0', or similar. Check if the installed version is numerically less than 23.80.
    Affected if The installed version is a release prior to version 23.80 (for example, 23.70, 23.50, 22.x, or older)
  4. Verify WiFi service can be crashed by adjacent attacker
    This check is for incident response or testing environments only: with a compatible wireless card and attacker in adjacent range, observe if the WiFi service (wlan svc or similar) becomes unresponsive or stops after receiving specially crafted packets. In production, skip this step.
    Affected if WiFi service crashes or becomes unresponsive when subjected to malicious wireless packets from adjacent range

A system is affected if Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi or Killer WiFi software is installed with a version number lower than 23.80, making it vulnerable to denial of service from adjacent wireless attackers.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi or Killer WiFi software to version 23.80 or later to patch the vulnerability. No configuration-based workarounds are available.

Recommended fix High confidence

Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi and Killer WiFi software version 23.80 or later for Windows

  1. Identify the current version of Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi or Killer™ WiFi software installed on the system via Windows Control Panel or Device Manager
  2. Download the latest version of Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi software (version 23.80 or later) from the official Intel support website
  3. Alternatively, check for updates through Intel Driver & Support Assistant (Intel DSA) which can automatically detect and install the corrected driver/software
  4. Ensure the wireless adapter is enabled before running the installer
  5. Run the downloaded installer with administrator privileges
  6. Restart the system after installation completes to ensure all driver components are properly loaded
  7. Verify the installed version is 23.80 or later via Control Panel > Programs and Features or Device Manager

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-39356 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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