CVE-2026-47516 in GeForce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability where an unprivileged user could cause a use-after-free. 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 GPU display driver serves as the critical software interface between the operating system kernel or user-space applications and the underlying graphics processing hardware. This component manages complex tasks such as memory allocation for frame buffers, context switching between different rendering contexts, and synchronization of graphical operations to ensure smooth visual output. Because this driver operates with high privileges within the system architecture, particularly in its interaction with the kernel on Windows and Linux platforms, it represents a significant attack surface. The vulnerability identified involves a use-after-free condition, which is a class of memory corruption errors where program execution continues after a block of computer memory has been freed, potentially leading to undefined behavior or security breaches.
A use-after-free flaw typically arises when the driver fails to properly manage the lifecycle of allocated memory structures associated with GPU contexts or display operations. In this specific instance, an unprivileged user can trigger conditions that cause the driver to release a memory object while there are still active references pointing to it. When the application subsequently attempts to access this freed memory through those dangling pointers, the system may interpret stale data as valid instructions or control structures. This discrepancy allows for arbitrary read and write operations within the kernel space if the attacker can carefully craft the input to overwrite adjacent memory regions with controlled values. The root cause lies in insufficient validation of pointer validity before dereferencing, a common oversight in complex driver codebases that handle dynamic resource allocation under high concurrency.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can achieve arbitrary code execution within the context of the system kernel or privileged service running the display driver. This effectively bypasses standard user-level security controls, allowing for full escalation of privileges from a low-privileged account to that of SYSTEM on Windows or root on Linux systems. Once elevated access is obtained, an adversary can install malware, create new administrative accounts, modify critical system configurations, and tamper with sensitive data stored on the local machine. Furthermore, the vulnerability facilitates information disclosure by allowing the reading of kernel memory contents, which may contain cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other confidential user data that was not intended to be accessible from unprivileged processes.
In addition to confidentiality and integrity violations, this flaw can lead to denial of service conditions. By triggering the use-after-free state repeatedly or in a manner that corrupts critical kernel structures, an attacker can cause system instability leading to crashes, blue screens on Windows, or kernel panics on Linux distributions. This disrupts availability for legitimate users and can be used as part of a broader attack strategy to distract security teams while other malicious activities are performed. The ability to execute code remotely if the driver is exposed via network services further amplifies the risk profile, although local exploitation remains the primary concern given the nature of display drivers requiring physical or authenticated session access.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, Use After Free, which describes situations where pointers are used after they have been freed. It also relates to CWE-94 Improper Control of Generation of Code (Code Injection) when the exploitation leads to arbitrary code execution. In terms of adversarial tactics, this exploit path corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and potentially T1055 Process Injection if the attacker leverages the elevated privileges to inject malicious payloads into running processes. Understanding these mappings helps in aligning detection rules with known behavioral patterns associated with privilege escalation attempts involving kernel drivers.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The primary defense is the deployment of vendor-provided patches that address the memory management logic within the GPU display driver. Organizations should prioritize updating NVIDIA graphics drivers to versions where this specific use-after-free condition has been resolved through proper pointer nullification, reference counting corrections, or enhanced validation checks before dereferencing. Beyond patching, implementing strict application control policies can prevent unauthorized applications from interacting with low-level hardware interfaces unnecessarily. Additionally, enabling kernel memory protection features such as Kernel Patch Protection on Windows or KASLR and SMEP/SMAP on Linux adds layers of defense that make exploitation significantly more difficult by randomizing code locations and preventing user-mode data execution in kernel space. Regular auditing of driver updates and monitoring for anomalous privilege escalation events are essential components of a robust security posture against such vulnerabilities.