CVE-2021-1098 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 07/21/2021
NVIDIA vGPU software contains a vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager (vGPU plugin), where it doesn't release some resources during driver unload requests from guests. This flaw allows a malicious guest to perform operations by reusing those resources, which may lead to information disclosure, data tampering, or denial of service. This affects vGPU version 12.x (prior to 12.3), version 11.x (prior to 11.5) and version 8.x (prior 8.8).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-1098 resides within NVIDIA's vGPU software ecosystem, specifically within the Virtual GPU Manager component that operates as a plugin interface. This flaw represents a critical resource management issue that manifests during the driver unload process when virtual machines attempt to release GPU resources back to the host system. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of NVIDIA's vGPU software spanning versions 8.x through 12.x, with specific impacts on versions prior to 8.8, 11.5, and 12.3, indicating a widespread exposure across the vGPU product line that has persisted across several major releases.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper resource cleanup mechanisms within the vGPU plugin architecture. When guest operating systems request driver unloading operations, the Virtual GPU Manager fails to properly release allocated memory segments, file handles, or other system resources that were previously allocated to the virtual GPU instance. This resource leakage creates a scenario where subsequent operations within the same virtual environment can access and manipulate previously allocated but unreleased resources, effectively allowing for resource reuse attacks. The underlying CWE classification for this issue aligns with CWE-404, which specifically addresses improper resource release or unmanagement, making it a classic example of resource management failure within virtualized environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple resource consumption issues and presents significant security implications for virtualized GPU deployments. Malicious actors within compromised guest environments can exploit the reused resources to achieve information disclosure by accessing data structures that should have been cleared or destroyed during normal operation. The vulnerability also enables data tampering capabilities, where attackers can manipulate shared memory segments or GPU registers that remain accessible after improper resource release. Furthermore, the potential for denial of service attacks exists as the accumulation of unreleased resources can eventually lead to system instability or complete resource exhaustion, particularly in high-density virtualized environments where multiple VMs share GPU resources.
This vulnerability demonstrates the complexity of virtual GPU security models and highlights the challenges inherent in maintaining proper resource isolation between virtual environments and their underlying host systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning in cloud computing environments where multiple tenants share the same physical GPU hardware, as the resource reuse mechanisms can potentially enable cross-tenant information leakage or compromise. The ATT&CK framework classification for this vulnerability would align with techniques involving privilege escalation and resource hijacking, as attackers can leverage the improperly managed resources to elevate their privileges or gain unauthorized access to sensitive GPU operations. Organizations utilizing NVIDIA vGPU solutions must implement immediate mitigations including patching to versions 8.8, 11.5, and 12.3 respectively, along with enhanced monitoring of resource usage patterns and virtual GPU manager behavior to detect potential exploitation attempts.