CVE-2018-6262 in GeForce Experience
Summary
by MITRE
NVIDIA GeForce Experience prior to 3.15 contains a vulnerability when GameStream is enabled where limited sensitive user information may be available to users with system access, which may lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2018-6262 affects NVIDIA GeForce Experience software versions prior to 3.15 and specifically relates to the GameStream feature implementation. This issue represents a classic information disclosure vulnerability that arises from inadequate access controls and data protection mechanisms within the streaming functionality. The flaw manifests when GameStream is enabled, creating a potential attack surface where unauthorized users with system-level access could potentially extract sensitive user information from the affected software components.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the GameStream subsystem. When users enable GameStream functionality, the software creates processes and data structures that may not properly isolate sensitive information from other system users or processes. This weakness allows for potential information leakage through various attack vectors including process memory inspection, file system access, or network communication monitoring. The vulnerability specifically targets user data that should remain protected within the confines of the GeForce Experience application, potentially exposing authentication tokens, session information, or other sensitive metadata.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates opportunities for privilege escalation and further system compromise. An attacker with system access could leverage this information disclosure to gain insights into user sessions, potentially enabling session hijacking attacks or credential reuse attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses "Information Exposure," and represents a specific implementation flaw in how the software manages sensitive data during streaming operations. From an adversary perspective, this vulnerability fits within the ATT&CK technique T1083, "File and Directory Discovery," and T1059, "Command and Scripting Interpreter," as attackers could use the leaked information to conduct more sophisticated attacks.
Security implications of CVE-2018-6262 are particularly concerning given the widespread adoption of GeForce Experience and GameStream functionality among gamers and content creators. The vulnerability affects users who may not be security-conscious, potentially exposing personal information, gaming session data, or network configuration details that could be exploited in broader attack campaigns. Organizations using NVIDIA gaming solutions for professional or entertainment purposes may face compliance issues if user data is exposed through this vulnerability, particularly in environments where privacy regulations such as GDPR or CCPA apply. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation in multimedia streaming applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of feature-rich software components.
Mitigation strategies should focus on updating to NVIDIA GeForce Experience version 3.15 or later, which includes proper access controls and data isolation mechanisms. System administrators should also implement network segmentation to limit access to gaming systems and monitor for unusual file access patterns or network communications that might indicate exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments of gaming software and streaming applications should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in other multimedia platforms. Additionally, users should be educated about the risks of enabling streaming features and the importance of maintaining updated software versions to protect against known vulnerabilities. The remediation approach should also include monitoring for potential privilege escalation attempts and implementing least-privilege access controls for system users who may interact with gaming applications.