CVE-2025-26404
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 · uneditedUncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) DSA software before version 25.2.15.9 may allow an authenticated user to potentially enable escalation of privilege via local 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 confidenceIntel(R) DSA software before version 25.2.15.9 contains an uncontrolled search path vulnerability where the application may load executable libraries from locations controllable by an authenticated local user, potentially allowing privilege escalation to a higher integrity level.
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
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Intel DSA software is installedCheck Windows Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl) or the program installation directory for Intel(R) DSA, or check Windows Services for an Intel DSA-related serviceAffected if Intel DSA software is present on the system
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Locate the Intel DSA executable and retrieve version infoRight-click the Intel DSA executable (commonly in C:\Program Files\Intel\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Intel\) and select Properties, then view the Details tab for Product VersionAffected if Unable to locate Intel DSA executable - the software may not be installed
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Compare installed version against the affected rangeIf version is found, compare it to 25.2.15.9 using numeric version comparison (e.g., 25.2.15.8, 25.2.10.0, or any version below 25.2.15.9 is affected)Affected if Installed version is lower than 25.2.15.9
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Verify the service executable path is writable by standard usersCheck file system permissions on the Intel DSA installation directory and verify if standard authenticated users have write access to that folder or subfoldersAffected if Standard users can write to directories where Intel DSA loads libraries from
A user is affected if Intel DSA software is installed with a version lower than 25.2.15.9 and the installation directory permissions allow authenticated local users to write to locations from which the application loads libraries.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scopedUpgrade Intel(R) DSA software to version 25.2.15.9 or later to resolve the uncontrolled search path vulnerability.
Intel(R) DSA software version 25.2.15.9
- 1. Identify the currently installed version of Intel(R) DSA software on the system
- 2. Navigate to Intel's official support website or Intel Download Center
- 3. Search for Intel(R) DSA software version 25.2.15.9 or later
- 4. Download the latest fixed version of Intel(R) DSA software
- 5. Apply the upgrade following Intel's standard installation procedures for DSA software
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-26404 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-26404 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data