CVE-2025-23263 in DOCA-Host
Summary
by MITRE • 07/17/2025
NVIDIA DOCA-Host and Mellanox OFED contain a vulnerability in the VGT+ feature, where an attacker on a VM might cause escalation of privileges and denial of service on the VLAN.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/18/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-23263 affects NVIDIA DOCA-Host and Mellanox OFED implementations within virtualized networking environments. This flaw resides in the VGT+ feature which is designed to provide virtual GPU technology support in virtualized environments. The vulnerability represents a critical security gap that allows malicious actors within a virtual machine to exploit the underlying networking stack and potentially escalate their privileges beyond the intended isolation boundaries. The issue specifically manifests when the VGT+ virtualization layer fails to properly validate or enforce access controls for VLAN operations, creating an attack surface that could be leveraged for unauthorized system access.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and privilege boundary enforcement within the virtualized networking infrastructure. When a malicious user executes crafted operations within their VM, the VGT+ implementation does not properly restrict the VLAN manipulation capabilities that should be limited to privileged system processes. This allows an attacker to construct specific network traffic patterns or memory operations that bypass normal access controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284 which deals with improper access control mechanisms, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068 which focuses on exploit for privilege escalation. The flaw essentially creates a path where a user-mode process within a VM can manipulate network virtualization components to gain elevated privileges on the host system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to include potential denial of service conditions that can disrupt networking services across the entire virtualized environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can not only execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges but also manipulate VLAN configurations that may affect network segmentation and overall system availability. The attack vector requires the presence of a compromised VM within the network infrastructure, but once successful, the impact can cascade to affect multiple systems sharing the same virtualization layer. Network administrators must consider that this vulnerability could be exploited in scenarios involving insider threats or compromised guest operating systems, where attackers have already gained initial access to the virtual environment.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-23263 should focus on immediate patching of affected NVIDIA DOCA-Host and Mellanox OFED implementations. Organizations should implement network segmentation controls to limit the potential impact of a successful exploitation attempt and ensure that VLAN configurations are properly monitored for unauthorized changes. The implementation of micro-segmentation policies and network access controls can help contain the blast radius of a potential exploit. Additionally, security teams should consider deploying intrusion detection systems that can monitor for anomalous VLAN manipulation patterns and privilege escalation attempts. Regular security assessments of virtualization environments should include specific testing of VGT+ functionality and access control mechanisms. System administrators should also review and restrict VM capabilities, particularly those related to network configuration and virtual hardware access, to minimize the attack surface available to potential adversaries. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date virtualization infrastructure and implementing defense-in-depth strategies that protect against both external and internal threats within virtualized environments.