CVE-2025-26694 is a vulnerability identified in Intel(R) QuickAssist Technology (QAT) Windows software versions prior to 2.6.0. The flaw is due to a null pointer dereference occurring within Ring 3, which is the user application level in Windows, allowing a denial of service (DoS) condition. An attacker with authenticated local access and low attack complexity can exploit this vulnerability without requiring user interaction or special internal knowledge. The vulnerability specifically impacts availability by causing the affected software or system to crash or become unresponsive, but it does not affect confidentiality or integrity. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required beyond authenticated user (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on availability (VA:H) with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The vulnerability is relevant for systems utilizing Intel QAT hardware acceleration on Windows platforms, which are commonly used to offload cryptographic and compression workloads to improve performance. The lack of known exploits in the wild suggests it is not yet actively weaponized, but the potential for disruption exists especially in environments where availability is critical. The vulnerability was published on November 11, 2025, and was reserved earlier in April 2025. No official patches or mitigation links were provided in the data, but upgrading to version 2.6.0 or later is implied as a fix. The vulnerability requires local authenticated access, limiting remote exploitation but still posing a risk in multi-user or shared environments.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-26694 is the potential for denial of service on systems running Intel QAT Windows software versions before 2.6.0. This can disrupt critical services that rely on hardware acceleration for cryptographic or compression tasks, such as financial services, telecommunications, and cloud providers. The availability impact could lead to system crashes or service outages, affecting business continuity and operational efficiency. Since confidentiality and integrity are not impacted, data breaches or unauthorized data manipulation are not direct concerns. However, the loss of availability can indirectly affect trust and compliance, especially in regulated sectors like finance, healthcare, and government. The requirement for local authenticated access means that insider threats or compromised user accounts pose the greatest risk. Organizations with shared workstations, virtualized environments, or remote desktop services may be more vulnerable. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the need for proactive mitigation. Failure to address this vulnerability could lead to targeted denial of service attacks causing downtime and potential financial losses.

To mitigate CVE-2025-26694, European organizations should prioritize upgrading Intel QAT Windows software to version 2.6.0 or later, where the null pointer dereference issue is resolved. Until patches are applied, restrict local access to systems running vulnerable versions by enforcing strict access controls and monitoring authenticated user activities. Implement robust user account management, including least privilege principles and multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of insider exploitation. Regularly audit and monitor system logs for unusual crashes or service interruptions that may indicate exploitation attempts. In environments where Intel QAT is critical, consider isolating these systems from general user access or deploying them in hardened, controlled environments. Additionally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential denial of service incidents. Coordinate with Intel and software vendors for official patches and advisories. Finally, educate IT staff and users about the risks of local authenticated attacks and the importance of maintaining secure user credentials.