---
id: "CVE-2026-42966"
page: "https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-42966"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2026-42966"]
title: "Intel Neural Compressor: uncaught exception lets local user escalate privileges"
severity: "medium"
cvss: 4.8
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["intel-neural-compressor", "local-users", "package", "python"]
not_affected_if: ["library-not-installed", "version-3.8-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-11-10T17:17:43+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-11-10T17:25:41+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42966", "first_seen_at": "2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00"}]
exploit_sources: []
---

# Intel Neural Compressor: uncaught exception lets local user escalate privileges

Link for people: https://infrastack.ai/live/CVE-2026-42966 (this .md is for agents)

Some versions of Intel Neural Compressor before 3.8 fail to handle an exception in user-level code, which can let a local, authenticated user gain elevated privileges. The attacker needs a local account on the machine and no user interaction is required.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

- Check the installed Intel Neural Compressor version with `pip show neural-compressor` (version unknown from sources for other install methods)
- Confirm whether multiple users share the machine or host workloads running it

## Fix

- Intel Neural Compressor: move to `3.8` or later

## Timeline

- 2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-42966

## From the sources

Uncaught exception for some Intel(R) Neural Compressor software before version 3.8 within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a low complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are not present without special internal knowledge and requires no user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (low), integrity (low) and availability (low) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.

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