CVE-2023-25532 in DGX H100 BMC
Summary
by MITRE • 09/20/2023
NVIDIA DGX H100 BMC contains a vulnerability in IPMI, where an attacker may cause insufficient protection of credentials. A successful exploit of this vulnerability may lead to information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-25532 affects NVIDIA DGX H100 systems through their Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) implementation, specifically within the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) protocol stack. This flaw represents a critical security weakness in the remote management capabilities of high-performance computing infrastructure, where the BMC serves as a dedicated management controller responsible for system monitoring, firmware updates, and remote administration functions. The DGX H100 platform, designed for artificial intelligence and machine learning workloads, relies heavily on secure remote management to maintain operational integrity and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive computational resources.
The technical flaw manifests in insufficient protection mechanisms for credentials stored within or transmitted through the IPMI interface of the BMC. IPMI is a standardized protocol that enables out-of-band system management, allowing administrators to monitor and control systems remotely even when the operating system is unresponsive or failed. In this case, the vulnerability suggests inadequate cryptographic protection or credential handling within the BMC's IPMI implementation, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive authentication information through various attack vectors including network sniffing, protocol manipulation, or exploitation of weak cryptographic implementations. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles for remote management systems where credential confidentiality and integrity are paramount.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it fundamentally compromises the security posture of NVIDIA DGX H100 deployments in enterprise and research environments. Organizations utilizing these systems for sensitive AI workloads, financial modeling, or scientific research face potential exposure of their management credentials, which could enable attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical computational infrastructure. The consequences include potential system compromise, data exfiltration, denial of service attacks, and unauthorized modification of system configurations. Given that DGX H100 systems often operate in high-value environments such as data centers, cloud computing platforms, and research facilities, the exploitation of this vulnerability could result in significant financial losses, intellectual property theft, and operational disruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-25532 should prioritize immediate implementation of network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of BMC interfaces to trusted networks only. Organizations must ensure that IPMI traffic is properly encrypted using strong cryptographic protocols and that default credentials are immediately changed upon system deployment. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-312 (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information) and CWE-310 (Cryptographic Issues) categories, indicating both storage and implementation weaknesses in cryptographic practices. Security teams should also implement continuous monitoring of BMC network traffic for suspicious activity and consider deploying intrusion detection systems specifically configured to detect anomalies in IPMI communications. Additionally, regular firmware updates from NVIDIA should be prioritized, as this vulnerability likely resides in specific BMC firmware versions that require patching to address the insufficient credential protection mechanisms. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing) as attackers may leverage compromised credentials for persistence and further network infiltration, making comprehensive credential management and monitoring essential for defense.