CVE-2020-5987 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/04/2020
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager contains a vulnerability in the vGPU plugin in which guest-supplied parameters remain writable by the guest after the plugin has validated them, which may lead to the guest being able to pass invalid parameters to plugin handlers, which may lead to denial of service or escalation of privileges. 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-2020-5987 resides within NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager's vGPU plugin implementation, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of virtualized graphics processing unit environments. This issue manifests in the improper handling of guest-supplied parameters during the validation process, creating a persistent security weakness that affects multiple versions of NVIDIA's vGPU software including 8.x prior to 8.5, 10.x prior to 10.4, and version 11.0. The flaw stems from a fundamental design oversight where validated parameters retain their writability permissions for guest operating systems, effectively allowing malicious or compromised guests to manipulate validated data structures that should remain immutable during processing.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through a privilege escalation vector where guest operating systems can modify parameters that were initially validated by the vGPU plugin handlers. This creates a scenario where attackers can craft malicious parameter values that bypass the intended validation checks, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution within the host system or complete system compromise. The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-276, which describes improper privilege management in software systems, and represents a classic case of inadequate access control mechanisms within virtualization layers. When guest operating systems retain write permissions on validated parameters, they essentially gain the ability to modify critical control structures that govern the behavior of the hypervisor's graphics processing unit management components.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-5987 extends beyond simple denial of service scenarios to encompass full privilege escalation capabilities that can compromise entire virtualized environments. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can potentially execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, effectively breaking out of guest isolation boundaries that are fundamental to virtualization security models. This weakness particularly affects cloud computing environments and data centers that rely heavily on NVIDIA vGPU technology for virtualized graphics workloads, where a single compromised guest could potentially affect the entire host system and other virtual machines sharing the same physical hardware. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can be leveraged for lateral movement within virtualized networks and can undermine the security assurances that virtualization platforms are designed to provide.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate patching of affected vGPU versions to 8.5, 10.4, and the appropriate release for version 11.0, as these releases contain the necessary fixes for parameter validation and access control mechanisms. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of virtualized environments for suspicious parameter modifications and establish strict access controls that prevent guest operating systems from maintaining writable permissions on validated control structures. The remediation process must include thorough validation of all guest-supplied parameters and implementation of proper memory protection mechanisms that ensure validated parameters remain read-only during processing. Additionally, system administrators should consider implementing network segmentation and additional monitoring controls to detect and prevent exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. This vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and access control in virtualization environments, aligning with ATT&CK technique T1068 which focuses on exploit for privilege escalation and T1543 which addresses persistence mechanisms through system modification.