CVE-2025-23246 in vGPU Software
Summary
by MITRE • 05/01/2025
NVIDIA vGPU software for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager (vGPU plugin), where it allows a guest to consume uncontrolled resources. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/02/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-23246 resides within NVIDIA vGPU software implementations for both Windows and Linux operating systems, specifically affecting the Virtual GPU Manager component also known as the vGPU plugin. This critical flaw manifests in the improper resource management mechanisms that govern how virtualized graphics processing units handle computational resources allocated to guest operating systems. The vulnerability stems from inadequate bounds checking and resource accounting within the vGPU plugin's memory and processing unit management subsystem, creating a scenario where guest virtual machines can potentially exhaust system resources without proper constraints.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through malicious resource consumption patterns that bypass normal allocation limits imposed by the vGPU manager. An attacker operating within a guest environment can manipulate the virtual GPU interface to request and consume resources beyond what is typically permitted, effectively creating a resource exhaustion condition. This flaw operates at the hypervisor level where guest VMs interact with the underlying GPU hardware through virtualization layers, making it particularly dangerous as it can affect the stability of the entire virtualization environment. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-400 as "Uncontrolled Resource Consumption" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1499.004 for "Endpoint Denial of Service" within the context of virtualized environments.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple denial of service conditions to potentially compromise the entire virtualization infrastructure. When exploited successfully, the vulnerability can cause cascading failures where legitimate guest VMs lose access to essential GPU resources, leading to application crashes and service interruptions. In enterprise environments utilizing NVIDIA vGPU technology for graphics-intensive workloads, this vulnerability could result in significant business disruption and financial losses. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects both Windows and Linux platforms, indicating a widespread potential impact across diverse computing environments. Organizations relying on virtualized GPU workloads for machine learning, graphics rendering, or visualization tasks face heightened risk of service degradation or complete system unavailability.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-23246 should prioritize immediate implementation of firmware and software updates from NVIDIA to address the resource management flaw. System administrators must implement strict resource quotas and monitoring mechanisms to detect anomalous resource consumption patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. Network segmentation and access controls should be reinforced to limit the potential impact of compromised guest environments. Organizations should also consider implementing behavioral analytics and intrusion detection systems specifically designed to monitor virtual GPU resource utilization for irregular patterns. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper resource isolation in virtualized environments and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of hypervisor components. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing of virtualization infrastructure should be conducted to identify similar resource management weaknesses that could lead to system instability or unauthorized resource consumption.