CVE-2021-1069 in Shield TV
Summary
by MITRE • 01/21/2021
NVIDIA SHIELD TV, all versions prior to 8.2.2, contains a vulnerability in the NVHost function, which may lead to abnormal reboot due to a null pointer reference, causing data loss.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/18/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1069 affects NVIDIA SHIELD TV devices running software versions prior to 8.2.2, representing a critical security flaw within the device's NVHost function implementation. This issue manifests as a null pointer reference condition that can trigger unexpected system behavior leading to device reboot cycles. The NVHost function serves as a crucial component in the device's hardware abstraction layer, managing host interface operations for various hardware peripherals and subsystems. When this function encounters a null pointer dereference during normal operation or specific input conditions, the system cannot properly handle the error condition and subsequently reboots to maintain system stability. The root cause lies in inadequate input validation and error handling within the NVHost driver code, where expected pointer values may not be properly initialized or validated before dereferencing operations occur.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple inconvenience as the abnormal reboot behavior can result in significant data loss scenarios. Users operating SHIELD TV devices may experience sudden system interruptions during critical operations such as media playback, software updates, or ongoing streaming sessions. The reboot mechanism can cause loss of unsaved session data, interrupted downloads, or corrupted media files that were in the process of being accessed or modified. Additionally, the repeated reboot cycles can lead to hardware degradation over time and may prevent users from accessing their device for extended periods. From an attacker perspective, this vulnerability could be exploited to create persistent denial of service conditions, potentially allowing malicious actors to repeatedly disrupt device functionality and compromise user experience.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-476 which specifically addresses NULL Pointer Dereference conditions in software implementations. The flaw demonstrates poor defensive programming practices where proper null checks are not implemented before pointer operations, and error handling mechanisms fail to gracefully manage unexpected null values. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this issue under T1499.004 which covers "Endpoint Denial of Service" techniques, as the vulnerability can be leveraged to disrupt device availability and functionality. The issue also relates to T1566.002 which covers "Phishing via Service" as it could be exploited through social engineering tactics to convince users to trigger the vulnerability during normal device usage. The NVHost function's role in managing hardware interfaces makes this a particularly concerning flaw since it affects the core system stability and could potentially be chained with other vulnerabilities to create more severe attack vectors.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-1069 require immediate software updates to version 8.2.2 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the null pointer reference condition in the NVHost function. Users should ensure their devices receive the official firmware update from NVIDIA to resolve this vulnerability. Network administrators and device management teams should implement automated update policies to ensure all SHIELD TV devices in their environment receive the security patch promptly. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect abnormal reboot patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts of this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing device hardening measures such as disabling unnecessary services and interfaces that might increase the attack surface. The patch implementation addresses the underlying null pointer dereference issue by adding proper validation checks and error handling procedures to ensure that all pointer operations within the NVHost function are safely managed even when unexpected null values are encountered during normal device operation.