{"id":"CVE-2026-46632","kind":"vulnerability","aliases":["CVE-2026-46632"],"related":[],"title":"Intel Application Optimization UI: uncontrolled search path allows local privilege escalation","description":"Uncontrolled search path for some Intel(R) Application Optimization User Interface within Ring 3: User Applications may allow an escalation of privilege. Unprivileged software adversary with an authenticated user combined with a high complexity attack may enable escalation of privilege. This result may potentially occur via local access when attack requirements are present without special internal knowledge and requires active user interaction. The potential vulnerability may impact the confidentiality (high), integrity (high) and availability (high) of the vulnerable system, resulting in subsequent system confidentiality (none), integrity (none) and availability (none) impacts.","summary":"Some Intel Application Optimization User Interface components load code through an uncontrolled search path, so a local user-level program can plant a file that runs with higher privileges. An attacker with a local account and a high-complexity setup could escalate privileges on the machine.","severity":"medium","cvss":5.4,"epss":null,"exploited":false,"exploited_at":null,"products":[],"ecosystems":[],"tags":["intel","local-users","vendor","windows"],"not_affected_if":["no-intel-application-optimization-installed"],"how_to_check":null,"fix":null,"status":"open","published_at":"2026-11-10T17:17:43+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00","triaged_at":"2026-11-10T17:24:26+00:00","updated_at":"2026-11-10T17:24:26+00:00","category":"vendor","confidence":0.6,"triage":{"at":"2026-11-10T17:24:26Z","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","output":{"fix":"unknown","reach":"local","title":"Intel Application Optimization UI: uncontrolled search path allows local privilege escalation","impact":"high","summary":"Some Intel Application Optimization User Interface components load code through an uncontrolled search path, so a local user-level program can plant a file that runs with higher privileges. An attacker with a local account and a high-complexity setup could escalate privileges on the machine.","audience":"businesses","category":"vendor","nicknames":[],"who_cares":["intel","windows","local-users"],"confidence":0.6,"fix_status":"unknown","needs_auth":"yes","worst_case":"local user gains elevated privileges on the machine","analyst_note":"Check Intel's security advisory for affected versions and the fixed release; the NVD entry gives no product ranges or fix.","how_to_check":"unknown","plain_action":"","product_name":"Intel Application Optimization User Interface","needs_analyst":true,"not_affected_if":["no-intel-application-optimization-installed"],"who_is_affected":"Systems where the Intel Application Optimization User Interface is installed; the exposure is local, requiring an authenticated user and active user interaction. The sources do not list affected versions or specific configurations.","user_interaction":"yes","product_ecosystem":"vendor","needs_special_setup":"yes","severity_if_unknown":"medium"},"cost_usd":0.0007,"input_tokens":4653,"output_tokens":470,"severity_before":"medium"},"analyst_status":null,"analyst_note":null,"search":"'-2026':13A,16A '-46632':14A,17A '3':85C 'access':119C 'account':59B 'activ':131C 'adversari':96C 'allow':8A,89C 'applic':2A,26B,79C,87C 'attack':55B,106C,121C 'authent':99C 'avail':145C,160C 'code':32B 'combin':101C 'complex':64B,105C 'compon':30B 'confidenti':140C,155C 'could':66B 'cve':12A,15A 'enabl':108C 'escal':11A,67B,91C,109C 'file':48B 'high':63B,104C,141C,143C,146C 'high-complex':62B 'higher':52B 'impact':138C,162C 'integr':142C,157C 'intel':1A,18B,25B,77C 'interact':133C 'interfac':29B,82C 'intern':127C 'knowledg':128C 'level':43B 'load':31B 'local':9A,20B,40B,58B,118C 'local-us':19B 'machin':71B 'may':88C,107C,114C,137C 'none':156C,158C,161C 'occur':116C 'optim':3A,27B,80C 'path':7A,37B,74C 'plant':46B 'potenti':115C,135C 'present':124C 'privileg':10A,53B,68B,93C,111C 'program':44B 'r':78C 'requir':122C,130C 'result':113C,151C 'ring':84C 'run':50B 'search':6A,36B,73C 'setup':65B 'softwar':95C 'special':126C 'subsequ':153C 'system':150C,154C 'ui':4A 'uncontrol':5A,35B,72C 'unprivileg':94C 'user':21B,28B,42B,81C,86C,100C,132C 'user-level':41B 'vendor':22B 'via':117C 'vulner':136C,149C 'window':23B 'within':83C 'without':125C","nicknames":[],"mitigations":[],"who_affected":"Systems where the Intel Application Optimization User Interface is installed; the exposure is local, requiring an authenticated user and active user interaction. The sources do not list affected versions or specific configurations.","tier":"C","verified":{},"analyst_revisit_at":null,"fix_status":"none","audience":"businesses","plain_action":null,"pkeys":[],"ptokens":[],"labels":["intel","localusers","medium","vendor","windows"],"campaign_type":null,"search_a":"'-2026':13A,16A '-46632':14A,17A 'allow':8A 'applic':2A 'cve':12A,15A 'escal':11A 'intel':1A 'local':9A 'optim':3A 'path':7A 'privileg':10A 'search':6A 'ui':4A 'uncontrol':5A","search_b":"'account':59B 'applic':26B 'attack':55B 'code':32B 'complex':64B 'compon':30B 'could':66B 'escal':67B 'file':48B 'high':63B 'high-complex':62B 'higher':52B 'intel':18B,25B 'interfac':29B 'level':43B 'load':31B 'local':20B,40B,58B 'local-us':19B 'machin':71B 'optim':27B 'path':37B 'plant':46B 'privileg':53B,68B 'program':44B 'run':50B 'search':36B 'setup':65B 'uncontrol':35B 'user':21B,28B,42B 'user-level':41B 'vendor':22B 'window':23B","search_c":"'3':85C 'access':119C 'activ':131C 'adversari':96C 'allow':89C 'applic':79C,87C 'attack':106C,121C 'authent':99C 'avail':145C,160C 'combin':101C 'complex':105C 'confidenti':140C,155C 'enabl':108C 'escal':91C,109C 'high':104C,141C,143C,146C 'impact':138C,162C 'integr':142C,157C 'intel':77C 'interact':133C 'interfac':82C 'intern':127C 'knowledg':128C 'local':118C 'may':88C,107C,114C,137C 'none':156C,158C,161C 'occur':116C 'optim':80C 'path':74C 'potenti':115C,135C 'present':124C 'privileg':93C,111C 'r':78C 'requir':122C,130C 'result':113C,151C 'ring':84C 'search':73C 'softwar':95C 'special':126C 'subsequ':153C 'system':150C,154C 'uncontrol':72C 'unprivileg':94C 'user':81C,86C,100C,132C 'via':117C 'vulner':136C,149C 'within':83C 'without':125C","cause_entry":null,"cause_path":null,"disclosures_checked_at":null,"first_public_at":"2026-11-10T17:17:43+00:00","kev":null,"cvss_vector":"CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X","cvss_by":"secure@intel.com","poc_count":0,"sources":[{"source":"nvd","external_id":"CVE-2026-46632","url":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46632","severity":null,"published_at":"2026-11-10T17:17:43+00:00","modified_at":"2026-11-10T17:17:43+00:00","first_seen_at":"2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00","fetched_at":"2026-11-10T17:22:43+00:00","note":null}],"documents":[],"disclosures":[],"exploit_sources":[],"notice":"Free to read, with fair use of about 60 pages a minute. For higher limits or API access: sales@infrastack.ai"}