CVE-2026-38765
Unistal Systems Pvt. Ltd. · Protegent 360
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Protegent 360 kernel driver allows unprivileged users to gain SYSTEM-level execution.
Executive summary
A high-severity local privilege escalation vulnerability in the Protegent 360 kernel driver allows attackers to achieve full system control.
Vulnerability
This is a local privilege escalation flaw residing in the kernel driver pgsecdl.sys. An unprivileged local attacker can leverage this driver to execute code with SYSTEM privileges, granting ring-0 control over the host.
Business impact
Successful exploitation results in full system compromise, allowing an attacker to bypass all operating system security controls, install persistent malware, or exfiltrate sensitive data. With a CVSS score of 7.8, this vulnerability represents a significant threat to endpoint security and data integrity.
Remediation
Immediate Action: No official patch is currently available. Organizations should consider isolating affected systems or restricting local access until the vendor provides a remediation.
Proactive Monitoring: Monitor for unexpected loading of kernel drivers or suspicious processes running with SYSTEM privileges. Review system logs for signs of local privilege escalation attempts.
Compensating Controls: Use Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions to detect and block malicious attempts to interact with or exploit vulnerable kernel drivers.
Exploitation status
Public Exploit Available: Yes, a public proof-of-concept is available on GitHub.
Analyst recommendation
Given the availability of public exploit code and the high-impact nature of kernel-level vulnerabilities, this issue should be treated with urgency. Administrators should prioritize the mitigation of local attack vectors and monitor for official updates from Unistal Systems Pvt. Ltd. to address the driver flaw.