CVE-2018-6258 in GeForce Experience
Summary
by MITRE
NVIDIA GeForce Experience all versions prior to 3.14.1 contains a potential vulnerability during GameStream installation where an attacker who has system access can potentially conduct a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack to obtain sensitive information.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6258 resides within NVIDIA GeForce Experience software versions prior to 3.14.1, specifically manifesting during the GameStream installation process. This represents a critical security flaw that exploits the lack of proper certificate validation mechanisms during network communication. The vulnerability stems from insufficient implementation of secure communication protocols when establishing connections for GameStream functionality, creating an attack surface where malicious actors can intercept and manipulate data exchanges between the client and server components.
The technical flaw manifests as a failure to properly validate SSL/TLS certificates during the GameStream installation phase, allowing attackers with local system access to perform man-in-the-middle attacks. This weakness enables adversaries to impersonate legitimate NVIDIA servers and intercept sensitive information transmitted during the installation process. The vulnerability operates at the application layer of the network stack, specifically targeting the authentication and encryption mechanisms that should protect the communication channel between GeForce Experience and NVIDIA's GameStream servers. Attackers can exploit this by positioning themselves within the network path to intercept and modify traffic, potentially gaining access to user credentials, system information, or other sensitive data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates a persistent security risk for all affected systems. Users with local system access can leverage this vulnerability to potentially escalate privileges or gain unauthorized access to their gaming sessions and associated data. The vulnerability affects not only individual user systems but also creates potential risks for network infrastructure, as compromised systems can serve as entry points for broader attacks within corporate or home network environments. The attack vector requires only local system access, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by malware or malicious insiders without requiring external network access or complex exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-6258 primarily focus on updating to NVIDIA GeForce Experience version 3.14.1 or later, which implements proper certificate validation and secure communication protocols. System administrators should ensure all affected systems are updated immediately and verify that the update has been successfully applied. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly during GameStream installation processes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation in security protocols, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1046 for network service scanning and T1566 for credential harvesting through social engineering or network attacks. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit the potential impact of compromised systems and establish robust patch management processes to prevent similar vulnerabilities from affecting other software components.