CVE-2020-5988 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 10/04/2020
NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager contains a vulnerability in the vGPU plugin, in which allocated memory can be freed twice, which may lead to information disclosure 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-2020-5988 resides within NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager's vGPU plugin component, representing a critical memory management flaw that undermines system stability and security. This issue specifically affects versions 8.x prior to 8.5, 10.x prior to 10.4, and version 11.0 of the vGPU software, creating a persistent risk across multiple release lines. The flaw manifests as a double free condition that occurs during memory allocation and deallocation processes, where the same memory block can be freed twice by the plugin's memory management routines. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-415, which categorizes improper deallocation of memory resources as a fundamental flaw in software memory management practices. The vulnerability's presence in virtual GPU environments creates particular concern given the widespread adoption of NVIDIA vGPU technology in enterprise data centers and cloud computing infrastructures.
The technical mechanism behind this vulnerability involves the vGPU plugin's handling of memory resources allocated to virtual GPU instances. When the plugin processes memory allocation requests for virtualized GPU resources, it maintains internal tracking structures to monitor which memory blocks are in use and which are available for reallocation. The double free condition occurs when the plugin's memory management logic fails to properly update its internal tracking state after a memory block is freed, allowing subsequent deallocation requests to reference and free the same memory location twice. This improper memory management can result in corrupted memory structures, invalid pointers, and unpredictable behavior within the vGPU plugin's execution context. The flaw operates at the intersection of memory management and resource allocation, where the plugin's failure to maintain proper state consistency leads to fundamental system instability.
The operational impact of CVE-2020-5988 extends beyond simple system crashes to encompass potential information disclosure and service disruption across virtualized GPU environments. When the double free condition occurs, it can lead to memory corruption that may expose sensitive data stored in freed memory blocks, creating information disclosure risks that align with ATT&CK technique T1005 for data from local system. The vulnerability's potential for denial of service represents a significant concern for organizations relying on vGPU technology for critical workloads, as system instability can result in complete service interruption. In cloud computing environments where multiple virtual machines share physical GPU resources, this vulnerability could enable an attacker to disrupt services across multiple tenants or cause cascading failures that impact entire data center operations. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is particularly concerning given that it affects the core vGPU plugin functionality that manages GPU resource allocation for virtualized environments.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2020-5988 primarily focus on updating to patched versions of the NVIDIA vGPU software, specifically versions 8.5, 10.4, and the corresponding releases for version 11.0. Organizations should prioritize immediate deployment of these patches across all affected vGPU installations, particularly in production environments where the vulnerability could be exploited to cause service disruption or information disclosure. System administrators should implement comprehensive monitoring to detect any unusual memory allocation patterns or system instability that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additional protective measures include implementing network segmentation to limit access to vGPU management interfaces and establishing robust patch management processes to ensure timely deployment of security updates. The vulnerability's nature as a memory management flaw makes it particularly susceptible to exploitation through carefully crafted memory allocation sequences that trigger the double free condition, making proactive patching essential for maintaining system integrity and preventing potential exploitation scenarios that could lead to privilege escalation or persistent access within virtualized environments.