CVE-2018-6257 in GeForce Experience
Summary
by MITRE
NVIDIA GeForce Experience all versions prior to 3.14.1 contains a potential vulnerability when GameStream is enabled where improper access control may lead to a denial of service, escalation of privileges, or both.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6257 affects NVIDIA GeForce Experience software versions prior to 3.14.1 and specifically relates to the GameStream feature implementation. This security flaw exists within the access control mechanisms that govern how the streaming service manages user permissions and system resources. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of access requests within the GameStream functionality, creating potential pathways for unauthorized system interactions. The affected software component operates at a privileged level within the Windows operating system environment, making the impact of this access control weakness particularly significant for system security posture.
The technical implementation flaw manifests in how the GameStream service handles authentication and authorization requests from connected devices or local processes. When GameStream is enabled, the system fails to properly validate incoming access requests, allowing potentially malicious or unauthorized entities to exploit the service interface. This improper access control vulnerability can be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges or to disrupt normal system operations through denial of service attacks. The root cause involves insufficient input validation and weak access control enforcement within the service communication protocols, creating opportunities for privilege escalation attacks that align with common attack patterns documented in the ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass potential system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability could gain elevated privileges within the system, potentially allowing them to execute malicious code, modify system configurations, or access protected data. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 3.14.1, indicating that the access control mechanisms were fundamentally flawed in the implementation and required significant revision to address the security gaps. This type of vulnerability commonly falls under CWE-284 which describes improper access control issues, and represents a critical security concern for gaming platforms that handle sensitive user data and system resources.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6257 require immediate software updates to version 3.14.1 or later where NVIDIA has implemented proper access control measures. System administrators should disable GameStream functionality when not actively needed, particularly in environments where security is paramount. Network segmentation and firewall rules should be implemented to restrict access to the GameStream service ports and prevent unauthorized external connections. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation in software services and aligns with security best practices outlined in NIST SP 800-53 for access control requirements. Organizations should also implement monitoring for unusual access patterns or service disruptions that could indicate exploitation attempts, as the vulnerability could be used in conjunction with other attack vectors to establish persistent access to affected systems.