Definition
Plain language
The innermost part of a computer's software that controls everything else running on it.
As stated in the literature
The privileged core managing memory, scheduling, and device access; kernel vulnerabilities are high-value because exploitation typically yields full privilege escalation across the machine.
Also called: OS kernel, kernel exploit
Why it matters: Because the kernel holds the highest privileges on a computer, a single bug there tends to defeat every protection layered above it.
For example, a flaw in the part of Windows or Linux that manages memory can let an ordinary program take over the entire machine, including other users' files.
Heard on the show
“In a separate test against a hardened operating-system kernel, Astra found multiple unknown vulnerabilities and built a working privilege-escalation exploit in twelve hours.”Episode 259 — GPT-6 Astra Behaves Better, And OpenAI Can Read It Less