# CVE-2026-20881: Intel QAT software drivers divide by zero in Ring 3 User Applications

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20881-intel-qat-software-drivers-divide-by-zero-in-ring-3-user  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-05-12. Updated: 2026-05-15  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-20881 · Severity: medium · CVSS 5.5 · Published 2026-05-12

A vulnerability exists in Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) drivers for Windows, which are used to accelerate cryptographic and data compression workloads. An authenticated local attacker could exploit this flaw to cause a system crash or service interruption. This results in a denial of service, potentially impacting business operations that rely on these hardware acceleration features.

Technologies: [Intel QuickAssist Technology software drivers for Windows](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/qat-software-drivers-for-windows), [Intel Quickassist Technology](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/quickassist-technology). Vendors: [Intel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/intel).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-20881 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-20881 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-20881?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 5.5, published 12 May 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) software drivers for Windows before 1.13.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-20881?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-20881 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-20881?** Check whether you run Intel QuickAssist Technology software drivers for Windows or Intel Quickassist Technology. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

A divide-by-zero vulnerability (CWE-369) exists in certain Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) software drivers for Windows before version 1.13. The flaw is located within Ring 3 (User Applications) components of the driver stack. An unprivileged but authenticated local adversary can trigger this condition through a low-complexity attack without requiring user interaction. Successful exploitation leads to a denial of service (DoS) by crashing the affected application or driver component. Intel has released version 1.13 and later to mitigate this issue.

## Affected products

- Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) software drivers for Windows before 1.13

## Timeline

- 2026-05-12: disclosed
- 2026-05-12: advisory

## References

- [https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01387.html](https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01387.html)

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- [Intel QAT software drivers for Windows improper input validation](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20767-intel-qat-software-drivers-for-windows-improper-input-validation)
- [Intel QAT software drivers for Windows out-of-bounds write](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20714-intel-qat-software-drivers-for-windows-out-of-bounds-write)
- [Intel QAT software drivers null pointer dereference](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20914-intel-qat-software-drivers-null-pointer-dereference)
- [Intel QAT software drivers improper input validation in Windows](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20905-intel-qat-software-drivers-improper-input-validation-in-windows)
- [Intel QAT Windows Driver unchecked return value in Ring 3 applications](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20793-intel-qat-windows-driver-unchecked-return-value-in-ring-3)