CVE-2019-5693 in Windows GPU Display Driver
Summary
by MITRE
NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver, all versions, contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) in which the program accesses or uses a pointer that has not been initialized, which may lead to denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/09/2019
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2019-5693 resides within the NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver kernel mode layer component known as nvlddmkm.sys. This critical flaw represents a classic uninitialized pointer dereference issue that fundamentally undermines the driver's stability and security posture. The vulnerability affects all versions of the NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver, creating a widespread risk across numerous systems that rely on NVIDIA graphics processing units for their graphical operations. The kernel mode context of this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it operates at the most privileged level of the operating system, where any instability or security breach can have cascading effects on overall system integrity.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory management within the kernel mode driver component. When the nvlddmkm.sys module processes certain graphics-related operations, it attempts to access or utilize a pointer variable that has not been properly initialized or validated. This uninitialized pointer condition can occur during various display driver operations including but not limited to graphics rendering, memory allocation, or hardware interface communications. The flaw essentially creates a scenario where the driver code attempts to execute operations on a memory address that contains unpredictable or invalid data, leading to system instability. According to CWE-476, this vulnerability maps directly to the Common Weakness Enumeration category for NULL Pointer Dereference, which is a well-documented software flaw that frequently leads to system crashes or denial of service conditions.
The operational impact of CVE-2019-5693 manifests primarily as denial of service conditions that can render graphics functionality completely inoperable on affected systems. When the uninitialized pointer dereference occurs, the kernel mode driver typically crashes or becomes unresponsive, resulting in system freezes, blue screen errors, or complete graphics subsystem failures. Users may experience intermittent display issues, complete screen blackouts, or forced system reboots during graphics-intensive operations such as gaming, video playback, or professional applications requiring GPU acceleration. The denial of service nature of this vulnerability means that legitimate system users cannot reliably utilize the graphics capabilities of their NVIDIA GPUs, effectively disabling critical graphical functionalities. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability could potentially be leveraged by adversaries to establish persistent denial of service conditions against targeted systems, particularly in environments where graphics processing is critical for business operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2019-5693 should prioritize immediate driver updates from NVIDIA, as the vendor has released patches addressing this specific vulnerability in subsequent driver versions. System administrators should implement comprehensive patch management protocols to ensure all affected systems receive the necessary updates without delay. Additionally, monitoring systems should be configured to detect unusual patterns of driver crashes or system instability that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's kernel mode nature makes it particularly challenging to mitigate through traditional user-mode security controls, emphasizing the importance of maintaining up-to-date system firmware and driver components. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime protections such as kernel-mode exploit protection and application whitelisting to reduce the attack surface and prevent unauthorized code execution within the privileged driver context. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should include verification of driver versions to ensure compliance with security baselines and prevent exploitation of this and similar kernel-level vulnerabilities that could potentially be leveraged for more advanced attacks.