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Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in NI-PAL Drivers

Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in NI-PAL Drivers

First seen 9 Oct 2026, 06:33 UTC •
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ThreatCluster AI
ThreatCluster •October 9, 2026 at 07:33 UTC
  • •CVE-2026-18485 affects NI-PAL versions 26.3.1 and earlier.
  • •The vulnerability allows local privilege escalation on Windows systems.
  • •Users must update their NI-PAL components before November 10, 2026, to avoid disruptions.

A local privilege escalation vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-18485, was discovered in the NI-PAL kernel driver, affecting versions 26.3.1 and earlier. This flaw allows authenticated users to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code on Microsoft Windows systems. Customers using NI driver software from Q2 2026 or earlier are urged to update their NI-PAL components to avoid potential system disruptions. The vulnerable driver is on Microsoft's blocklist, which will prevent it from loading starting November 10, 2026, if not updated. NI recommends that users verify their installed NI-PAL version and follow the mitigation guidance provided. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 8.5, indicating a high severity level. Currently, there is no evidence of in the wild.

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Timeline

2026-08-05
CVE-2026-18485 published
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in NI-PAL was disclosed with a CVSS score of 8.5.
NI.com
2026-10-09
Security update recommended
NI advises customers to update NI-PAL to mitigate the vulnerability before it is blocked by Windows.
NI.com

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Common questions

What versions of NI-PAL are affected?
NI-PAL versions 26.3.1 and earlier are affected by CVE-2026-18485.
What should I do to protect my systems?
Update your NI-PAL components to the latest version to mitigate the vulnerability.
When will the vulnerable drivers be blocked?
Starting November 10, 2026, Windows will block affected NI-PAL components from loading if not updated.