Intel Metrics Discovery API: Denial of service via improper null termination
Summary
Intel's Metrics Discovery Application Programming Interface library, a user-mode library for GPU performance data, contains an improper null termination flaw (CWE-170). A local user with a valid low-privilege account can trigger a denial of service of the local process or host. The attack has high complexity and requires no user interaction. Confidentiality and integrity are not affected.
Affected
- Intel(R) Metrics Discovery Application Programming Interface versions before 1.16.189
- Linux systems or tools that bundle this library (downstream builds not confirmed)
Fixed in
- Version 1.16.189 or later, according to Intel advisory INTEL-SA-01565
- Downstream distribution package versions: Unknown.
Workaround
- Unknown. No vendor workaround has been published.
- Until patched, limit local access on affected hosts to trusted users (generic advice from a third-party aggregator, not from Intel).
Exploitation
- No evidence of exploitation in the wild found.
- No public proof-of-concept found.
- Not listed in CISA KEV at the time of research.
- EPSS below 1%.
Our recommendation
- Inventory Linux hosts and images that contain the Metrics Discovery library, especially multi-user hosts, developer or render workstations and CI runners.
- Update to version 1.16.189 or later, or install the fixed build from your distribution once available.
- Patch CVE-2026-63018 (same product and fix version) at the same time.
- Track INTEL-SA-01565 for updates.
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Intel Security Advisory INTEL-SA-01565 intel.com
- OpenCVE: CVE-2026-60141 app.opencve.io
- Intel Metrics Discovery on GitHub github.com
- Intel Security Center www.intel.com
- OpenCVE: CVE-2026-63018 (sibling CVE) app.opencve.io
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 19:47.
Original description (NVD)
Improper null termination for some Intel(R) Metrics Discovery Application Programming Interface before version 1.16.189 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow a denial of service. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a low complexity attack may enable denial of service. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present with special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (low) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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