CVE-2026-20814
dxgkrnl.sys — elevation of privilege in DirectX Graphics Kernel
Summary
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Driver | dxgkrnl.sys (DirectX Graphics Kernel) |
| Vulnerability Class | Elevation of Privilege |
| CVSS | 7.8 |
| Exploited ITW | No |
| Patch Date | January 13, 2026 |
Root Cause
A vulnerability in the DirectX Graphics Kernel subsystem allows a local attacker to escalate privileges. The exact root cause has not been publicly detailed beyond Microsoft's advisory.
Exploitation
The attacker sends crafted DirectX operations to escalate privileges.
Exploitation Primitive
Crafted DirectX operation → kernel vulnerability → SYSTEM