CVE-2024-0146 in vGPU Software
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
NVIDIA vGPU software contains a vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager, where a malicious guest could cause memory corruption. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, denial of service, information disclosure, or data tampering.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0146 resides within NVIDIA vGPU software's Virtual GPU Manager component, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of virtualized graphics environments. This vulnerability specifically targets the memory management mechanisms employed by the vGPU software when processing guest VM requests, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors operating within compromised virtual machines. The flaw exists in the manner in which the Virtual GPU Manager handles memory allocation and deallocation processes, particularly when processing requests from guest operating systems that may be intentionally crafted to trigger abnormal memory states.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory boundary checking within the Virtual GPU Manager's codebase, creating conditions where malformed or malicious guest requests can cause memory corruption through buffer overflows or use-after-free conditions. This memory corruption occurs at the hypervisor level where guest VMs interact with the vGPU software, allowing attackers to manipulate memory regions that should remain protected from guest access. The vulnerability manifests when guest VMs submit specific graphics commands or memory allocation requests that bypass normal validation checks, leading to unpredictable memory states that can be leveraged for further exploitation.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-0146 extends beyond simple system instability, as successful exploitation could enable attackers to execute arbitrary code within the vGPU environment with elevated privileges. This code execution capability represents a severe threat to virtualized infrastructure since it allows attackers to gain control over the graphics processing resources and potentially escalate their privileges to the host system level. Additionally, the vulnerability could enable denial of service conditions that would prevent legitimate users from accessing virtualized graphics resources, while information disclosure attacks could expose sensitive data stored in memory regions that should remain protected. Data tampering capabilities further compound the threat by allowing attackers to modify graphics processing results or corrupt memory contents without detection.
Organizations utilizing NVIDIA vGPU software in virtualized environments face significant risk from this vulnerability, particularly those operating in cloud computing or enterprise virtualization scenarios where multiple tenants share the same physical hardware. The attack surface is particularly concerning in multi-tenant cloud environments where guest VMs from different organizations may be running on the same physical host, as this vulnerability could enable cross-tenant attacks or privilege escalation from one tenant to another. Security teams must consider the implications of this vulnerability in relation to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the techniques related to privilege escalation, defense evasion, and credential access. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-125, which describes out-of-bounds read conditions, and CWE-787, which covers out-of-bounds write conditions, both of which are commonly exploited in virtualization environments to achieve privilege escalation and code execution.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-0146 should prioritize immediate patch deployment from NVIDIA, as this represents the most effective defense against exploitation. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit guest VM capabilities and reduce the attack surface available to potential attackers. Monitoring systems should be enhanced to detect anomalous memory access patterns or unusual graphics processing requests that could indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing micro-segmentation policies within virtualized environments to isolate graphics processing resources and prevent lateral movement in case of compromise. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization software and implementing comprehensive security monitoring solutions that can detect and respond to memory corruption attacks in real-time, as these types of vulnerabilities often require immediate remediation to prevent exploitation in production environments.