CVE-2026-47522 in GPU Display Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer where an attacker could cause improper input validation. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, information disclosure, and data tampering.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The identified vulnerability resides within the kernel-mode components of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for both Windows and Linux operating systems. This specific flaw is characterized by improper input validation mechanisms that fail to adequately sanitize or verify user-supplied data before it is processed by privileged system routines. In modern computing architectures, particularly those involving hardware acceleration via GPUs, the driver serves as a critical bridge between high-level application software and low-level hardware execution units. When this bridge lacks rigorous boundary checks, it creates an attack surface where malicious actors can inject crafted inputs that bypass expected logical constraints. The presence of such a flaw in kernel-mode code is particularly severe because kernel space operates with unrestricted access to system memory and resources, meaning any exploitation attempt has the potential to compromise the entire operating system rather than just a single application sandboxed within user mode.
From a technical perspective, improper input validation often manifests as buffer overflows, integer overflows, or logic errors that allow an attacker to manipulate internal driver states in unintended ways. In the context of GPU drivers, these inputs may originate from graphics APIs such as DirectX, OpenGL, Vulkan, or CUDA runtime libraries when applications request specific rendering operations or compute tasks. If the driver does not correctly validate parameters related to memory allocation sizes, buffer boundaries, or command stream structures, an attacker can craft a malicious payload that triggers out-of-bounds writes or reads. This manipulation allows for arbitrary code execution within the kernel context, effectively granting the attacker full control over the underlying hardware and operating system. The complexity of GPU instruction sets and driver state machines makes these vulnerabilities difficult to detect through standard static analysis tools without specialized fuzzing techniques targeting graphics subsystems.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is profound and multifaceted. A successful exploit can lead directly to arbitrary code execution, allowing an attacker to run malicious binaries with the highest level of system privileges equivalent to SYSTEM on Windows or root on Linux. This facilitates complete compromise of the host machine, enabling persistent access for further lateral movement within a network environment. Additionally, the vulnerability supports denial of service conditions by crashing the graphics subsystem or the entire operating system through invalid state transitions that cause kernel panics or blue screens. Privilege escalation is another critical consequence, as gaining control over the GPU driver often provides a path to bypassing security boundaries like Windows Defender Application Control or Linux SELinux policies. Furthermore, information disclosure risks arise if memory read operations are triggered without proper checks, potentially leaking sensitive data such as cryptographic keys or user credentials stored in adjacent kernel memory regions. Data tampering is also possible, where an attacker modifies graphical output buffers or system configuration files to alter visual representations or corrupt critical system states.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-20, which defines Improper Input Validation, and often intersects with CWE-119 (Buffer Overflow) depending on the specific implementation details of how memory is handled during the validation failure. In terms of tactical mapping within the MITRE ATT&CK framework, this flaw supports techniques associated with Initial Access via exploited application software, as well as Privilege Escalation through kernel exploitation modules like CVE-2019-6438 or similar driver-based exploits historically observed in Windows environments. The ability to execute code in ring 0 allows attackers to establish persistence by installing rootkits that hide from standard user-mode detection mechanisms, making remediation and forensic analysis significantly more challenging for security teams.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver to versions that include fixes for this input validation logic. Organizations should implement strict software update policies ensuring that driver updates are applied promptly upon release by the vendor. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, network segmentation can help limit exposure by restricting which systems can communicate with potentially vulnerable endpoints or by blocking execution of unsigned kernel drivers if supported by endpoint protection platforms. Application whitelisting and enforcing least-privilege principles for user accounts running graphics-intensive applications can also reduce the attack surface by preventing untrusted code from invoking the vulnerable driver functions. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalies in GPU memory usage patterns or unusual privilege escalation events that may indicate an active exploitation attempt against this specific kernel-mode component.