CVE-2026-47498 in Virtual GPU Manager
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA vGPU Manager contains a vulnerability in the GPU System Processor (GSP) plugin where a guest VM user may cause an out-of-bounds write by sending a specially crafted RPC message. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, escalation of privileges, data tampering, denial of service, and information disclosure.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The NVIDIA vGPU Manager software facilitates the virtualization of GPU resources for guest operating systems within hypervisor environments, allowing multiple virtual machines to share a single physical graphics processing unit. Within this architecture, the GPU System Processor (GSP) plugin serves as a critical component responsible for managing low-level hardware interactions and firmware operations. A significant security flaw has been identified in this specific module, where improper validation of input data received via Remote Procedure Call messages allows an attacker to trigger an out-of-bounds write operation. This vulnerability arises because the software fails to adequately verify the bounds of memory buffers before writing data sent by a guest virtual machine user, creating a classic buffer overflow scenario that compromises the integrity of the host system's memory space.
From a technical perspective, this flaw is categorized under CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write, which describes situations where software writes data to a memory location beyond the intended boundary of a buffer. The attack vector involves a guest VM user crafting and transmitting a specially designed RPC message that exceeds the expected size or structure defined by the GSP plugin's internal logic. When this malformed request is processed, the application attempts to write the excess data into adjacent memory regions rather than rejecting the input as invalid. This unauthorized memory access can overwrite critical control structures, such as return addresses on the stack or function pointers in heap metadata, thereby altering the normal flow of execution within the host environment.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. A successful exploitation could allow an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the vGPU Manager process, which typically runs at a high privilege level on the hypervisor or host system. This leads directly to escalation of privileges from a low-privileged guest user account to full control over the underlying hardware and virtualization infrastructure. Furthermore, the ability to write to arbitrary memory locations enables data tampering, where sensitive information stored in adjacent buffers can be modified or corrupted. The vulnerability also poses a risk of denial of service if the out-of-bounds write causes a crash in the vGPU Manager process, effectively disrupting GPU availability for all virtual machines sharing that physical resource. Additionally, depending on how memory is laid out and accessed post-exploitation, there may be opportunities for information disclosure through side-channel effects or reading uninitialized memory contents.
In terms of threat modeling and industry standards, this vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, specifically those involving exploitation of software vulnerabilities within virtualization environments. Attackers could leverage this flaw as part of a broader campaign to escape the guest VM sandbox and pivot laterally across the host infrastructure. The lack of strict input validation represents a fundamental design weakness that undermines the isolation guarantees provided by the hypervisor layer.
To mitigate this risk, immediate action is required from system administrators and security teams responsible for NVIDIA vGPU deployments. Organizations should apply the latest software updates and patches released by NVIDIA to address the buffer overflow issue within the GSP plugin. Until patching can be implemented, it is advisable to restrict network access to the vGPU Manager interfaces to only trusted management networks and enforce strict role-based access controls on guest VMs that require GPU passthrough or virtualization features. Additionally, deploying host-level intrusion detection systems capable of monitoring for anomalous memory writes or unusual RPC traffic patterns may help in detecting attempted exploitation activities before they result in a successful compromise. Regular auditing of hypervisor configurations and ensuring that the principle of least privilege is applied to all components involved in GPU sharing will further reduce the attack surface associated with this vulnerability.