CVE-2020-5983 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/04/2020
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager contains a vulnerability in the vGPU plugin and the host driver kernel module, in which the potential exists to write to a memory location that is outside the intended boundary of the frame buffer memory allocated to guest operating systems, which may lead to denial of service or information disclosure. This affects vGPU version 8.x (prior to 8.5), version 10.x (prior to 10.4) and version 11.0.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5983 resides within NVIDIA's Virtual GPU Manager ecosystem, specifically impacting the vGPU plugin and host driver kernel module components. This flaw represents a classic buffer overflow condition that occurs when memory boundaries are not properly enforced during frame buffer operations. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of NVIDIA's vGPU software including 8.x series prior to 8.5, 10.x series prior to 10.4, and version 11.0, indicating a widespread impact across the virtualization platform. The root cause stems from insufficient validation of memory access boundaries when handling graphics data within virtualized environments, creating a potential attack surface that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through improper memory management during graphics processing operations within the virtualized GPU environment. When guest operating systems interact with the virtualized frame buffer memory, the kernel module fails to validate that write operations remain within the allocated memory boundaries. This allows an attacker to potentially write data beyond the intended frame buffer allocation, effectively corrupting memory regions that should remain isolated between virtual machines. The flaw operates at the kernel level within the host driver, making it particularly dangerous as it can bypass standard user-space protections and access critical system memory areas. This memory boundary violation creates opportunities for both denial of service conditions where system resources become unavailable and information disclosure scenarios where sensitive data may be accessed through memory corruption.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-5983 extends beyond simple system instability to encompass potential data compromise within virtualized environments. Denial of service attacks can render virtual machines unusable by corrupting essential graphics memory or triggering kernel panics that require system restarts. Information disclosure represents a more subtle but serious threat as attackers may be able to extract sensitive data from memory locations adjacent to the corrupted frame buffer regions. In enterprise environments utilizing NVIDIA vGPU technology for desktop virtualization or cloud computing services, this vulnerability could compromise multiple virtual machines simultaneously, affecting user sessions and potentially exposing confidential information. The vulnerability's presence in multiple version streams suggests that organizations with legacy deployments across different vGPU releases may be simultaneously exposed to the same risk.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-5983 should prioritize immediate patching of affected vGPU versions to remediate the memory boundary validation issues. Organizations should upgrade to NVIDIA vGPU versions 8.5, 10.4, or later 11.0 releases that contain the necessary kernel module fixes. System administrators should implement monitoring for unusual memory access patterns or kernel-level anomalies that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced around virtualization hosts to limit potential attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-121, which describes stack-based buffer overflow conditions, and represents a critical threat under the ATT&CK framework's privilege escalation and defense evasion tactics. Regular security assessments of virtualization environments and implementation of security controls such as kernel memory protection features should be considered as additional safeguards. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure readiness for potential exploitation scenarios involving virtual GPU memory corruption.