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CVE-2026-8501 is an improper access control vulnerability in the PC Tools Internet Security PCTCore64.sys Windows kernel driver. The driver creates the PCTCoreDriver WDM device interface without restrictive access controls, allowing user-mode processes to open the device and reach privileged IOCTL handlers. Reported analysis specifically notes an exposed process-termination IOCTL reachable by local callers. Because these operations are executed through a kernel driver interface, an attacker who can access or load the vulnerable driver can invoke sensitive functionality from user mode via the driver path.
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What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
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1 valid exploit after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository is a collection of operational Proof-of-Concept (PoC) exploits demonstrating the Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) technique to kill protected processes on Windows systems. Each subdirectory targets a specific vulnerable driver, with a Rust-based executable that loads the driver as a service, opens a device handle, and sends a crafted IOCTL to terminate a process by name or PID. The exploits require the vulnerable driver file to be present in the same directory as the executable and are designed for local execution with administrative privileges. The repository covers multiple drivers, including those from Baidu Antivirus (BdApiUtil64.sys, CVE-2024-51324), K7 Ultimate Security (K7RKScan.sys, CVE-2025-52915, CVE-2025-1055), ThreatFire System Monitor (sysmon.sys), Tg Soft (viragt64.sys), and Topaz Antifraud (wsftprm.sys, CVE-2023-52271). The main entry points are the Rust 'main.rs' files in each subdirectory. The exploits are not detection scripts but provide real process termination capability, which can be used to disable AV/EDR or other security software. The code is well-structured, modular, and leverages Windows service and device APIs to interact with the drivers. The attack vector is local, requiring administrative access to load the driver. The endpoints include the driver files and their respective device interfaces (e.g., \\.\BdApiUtil, \\.\ksapi64_dev, etc.). This collection is intended for research and educational purposes to demonstrate the risks of unprotected or vulnerable kernel drivers on Windows platforms.
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Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
4 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.