CVE-2020-5986 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/04/2020
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager contains a vulnerability in the vGPU plugin, in which an input data size is not validated, which may lead to tampering or denial of service. This affects vGPU version 8.x (prior to 8.5), version 10.x (prior to 10.4) and version 11.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/16/2020
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2020-5986 resides within NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager's vGPU plugin component, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity and availability of virtualized graphics environments. This issue manifests in the improper validation of input data sizes, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors to compromise system stability and functionality. The vulnerability affects multiple major versions of NVIDIA's vGPU software, specifically versions 8.x prior to 8.5, 10.x prior to 10.4, and version 11.0, indicating a widespread impact across the vGPU ecosystem that has persisted for several software releases.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-129, which describes improper validation of input ranges, and represents a classic buffer over-read or buffer overflow condition that occurs when the system fails to properly validate the size of incoming data. When the vGPU plugin processes input data without adequate size validation, it creates opportunities for attackers to manipulate the data stream in ways that could trigger unexpected behavior within the virtual graphics environment. This flaw operates at the boundary between user input and system processing, where insufficient validation allows malicious data to bypass normal sanitization procedures and potentially execute unauthorized operations.
From an operational perspective, the impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption to encompass potential system compromise and service disruption. Attackers could exploit the lack of input validation to either manipulate the vGPU plugin's behavior through carefully crafted inputs, potentially leading to privilege escalation or unauthorized access to graphics resources, or to induce denial of service conditions that would prevent legitimate users from accessing virtualized graphics capabilities. The vulnerability's presence in multiple vGPU versions suggests that organizations running affected software may experience prolonged exposure without immediate remediation, creating extended windows of opportunity for exploitation.
The operational implications of this vulnerability are particularly concerning in enterprise environments where virtualized graphics resources are critical for applications such as remote desktop services, virtual workstations, and graphics-intensive virtual machines. Organizations utilizing NVIDIA vGPU solutions for these purposes face potential disruption to their virtualized computing infrastructure, which could result in productivity losses and service interruptions. The vulnerability's impact is exacerbated by the fact that it affects software versions that were likely in production use for extended periods, meaning that many organizations may have been operating with unpatched systems for months or years prior to the vulnerability's disclosure.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patch deployment to versions 8.5, 10.4, and the corresponding updated releases that address the input validation flaw. Organizations should implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of vGPU plugins to untrusted networks or users. The vulnerability's characteristics suggest that runtime monitoring and input validation enforcement should be enhanced as part of defensive measures. System administrators should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems that can identify anomalous data patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, regular security assessments of virtualized environments should include verification of vGPU plugin versions and configuration settings to ensure that all security updates are properly applied and that the system maintains its intended security posture. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under the T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution and T1499 - Endpoint Denial of Service tactics, emphasizing the potential for both execution and availability compromise. Organizations should also review their incident response procedures to ensure preparedness for potential exploitation scenarios that could involve either service disruption or unauthorized access to virtual graphics resources.