# CVE-2026-40705: Intel NPU Driver improper resource locking denial of service

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-40705-improper-resource-locking-for-the-intel-r-npu-drivers-before  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-11-10. Updated: 2026-11-10  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-40705 · Severity: info · Published 2026-11-10

Intel's NPU (Neural Processing Unit) Drivers contain a resource locking flaw that can cause a system to become unresponsive or crash. An authenticated user on the local system can trigger this vulnerability with a simple attack, resulting in a denial of service that affects system availability. No data theft or system compromise occurs, but productivity is lost due to service unavailability.

Technologies: [Intel NPU Driver for Linux](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/npu-driver-for-linux), [Intel NPU Driver for Windows](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/npu-driver-for-windows). Vendors: [Intel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/intel).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-40705 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-40705 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-40705?** Informational severity, published 10 November 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Intel NPU Driver for Linux before 1.33.0; Intel NPU Driver for Windows before 32.0.100.4778.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-40705?** Yes: fixed in NPU Driver for Windows 32.0.100.4778; NPU Driver for Linux 1.33.0. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-40705 attacked?** It is attacked with local access, in device firmware.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-40705?** Check whether you run Intel NPU Driver for Linux or Intel NPU Driver for Windows at an affected version. 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.

## How to fix

- Fixed in NPU Driver for Windows 32.0.100.4778; NPU Driver for Linux 1.33.0

## Technical details

The Windows NPU Driver before version 32.0.100.4778 has improper resource locking in Ring 1 device driver code, allowing an authenticated local attacker with low complexity to trigger a denial of service condition via local access without user interaction. The vulnerability impacts system availability (CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N, CVSS score 6.8) and is fixed in version 32.0.100.4778.

## Affected products

- Intel NPU Driver for Windows before 32.0.100.4778
- Intel NPU Driver for Linux before 1.33.0

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10: disclosed
- 2026-11-10: patched

## References

- [https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01521.html](https://intel.com/content/www/us/en/security-center/advisory/intel-sa-01521.html)

## Related threats

- [Intel NPU Driver integer underflow in Ring 3 user applications](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-40426-integer-underflow-wrap-or-wraparound-for-the-intel-r-npu-driver)
- [Intel NPU Driver null pointer dereference denial of service](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-32672-null-pointer-dereference-for-the-intel-r-npu-drivers-before)
- [Intel NPU Driver Windows time-of-check time-of-use race condition](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20908-intel-npu-driver-windows-time-of-check-time-of-use-race-condition)
- [Intel NPU Driver out-of-bounds read denial of service](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20786-intel-npu-driver-out-of-bounds-read-denial-of-service)
- [Intel NPU Driver improper conditions check in firmware](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-20783-intel-npu-driver-improper-conditions-check-in-firmware)