CVE-2024-47893 in Graphics DDK
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2025
Kernel software installed and running inside a Guest VM may exploit memory shared with the GPU Firmware to read and/or write data outside the Guest's virtualised GPU memory.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical memory isolation flaw in virtualized GPU environments where the kernel software operating within a guest virtual machine can potentially access memory regions beyond the designated virtualized GPU memory space. The issue arises from insufficient boundary checking mechanisms between the guest operating system and the hypervisor's GPU firmware components, creating an attack surface that allows unauthorized memory access patterns. The vulnerability specifically targets the shared memory architecture between the guest VM and the GPU firmware, exploiting a fundamental breakdown in memory segmentation controls that should normally prevent such cross-boundary access. This flaw enables malicious actors to potentially extract sensitive data or modify system state through unauthorized memory operations that should be strictly confined to the guest's allocated memory space.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate memory management controls within the hypervisor's GPU virtualization layer, where the kernel software running inside the guest VM can leverage shared memory mappings to access GPU firmware memory regions. This type of vulnerability typically falls under the CWE-121 category of "Buffer Overflow" and represents a specific instance of improper access control mechanisms. The flaw manifests when the guest kernel attempts to interact with GPU memory through shared memory interfaces, bypassing the normal virtualization boundaries that should protect the hypervisor's firmware components from guest-level access attempts. The memory access patterns exploit a weakness in the memory management unit's handling of shared memory segments between different privilege levels.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, as it can enable privilege escalation attacks and potentially allow complete compromise of the virtualized environment. Attackers could leverage this flaw to read sensitive information from GPU firmware memory, which might contain cryptographic keys, system configuration data, or other confidential information. The vulnerability also poses a risk for write operations that could corrupt firmware state or manipulate system behavior. This represents a significant concern for cloud environments and multi-tenant systems where isolation between virtual machines is paramount for security. The attack vector typically requires a malicious guest VM to execute specific kernel-level code that exploits the memory access control bypass, making it particularly dangerous in environments where guest VMs may be compromised or where untrusted code execution is possible.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on strengthening memory access controls within the hypervisor's GPU virtualization layer, implementing additional boundary checking mechanisms, and ensuring proper isolation between guest memory spaces and hypervisor firmware components. System administrators should prioritize updating hypervisor firmware and kernel components to versions that address the memory access control flaws, while also implementing monitoring solutions to detect unauthorized memory access patterns. The remediation approach must include comprehensive testing of memory management controls and validation of isolation boundaries between guest VMs and hypervisor firmware components. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as memory integrity checking and runtime protection mechanisms that can detect and prevent unauthorized memory access attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining strict separation between different privilege levels in virtualized environments and underscores the need for continuous security assessment of hypervisor components to prevent similar memory access control bypasses.