CVE-2026-47540 in GeForce
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 an integer underflow. 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 NVIDIA GPU display driver architecture for Windows and Linux environments contains a critical security flaw located within the kernel-mode layer of its software stack. This specific vulnerability manifests as an integer underflow condition during the processing of certain input parameters or internal calculations related to graphics rendering operations. In systems programming, particularly within operating system kernels where memory safety is not guaranteed by default language features like those in user-space applications, improper handling of arithmetic operations can lead to severe consequences. When a signed integer value is decremented below zero without proper bounds checking, it wraps around to a large positive number due to two's complement representation rules. This mathematical error fundamentally breaks the assumptions made by subsequent memory allocation or access routines that rely on these values for size calculations or index offsets.
The technical root cause of this issue lies in the insufficient validation of input data before it is used in arithmetic operations within the driver kernel module. An attacker who can interact with the GPU subsystem, potentially through a malicious application or a compromised user-space process, may supply crafted inputs that trigger this underflow condition. Because the vulnerability exists in kernel mode, which operates at the highest privilege level on most operating systems, the impact is significantly more severe than vulnerabilities found in user-mode applications. The lack of rigorous boundary checks allows an attacker to manipulate memory addresses or buffer sizes, leading to out-of-bounds reads or writes depending on how the underflowed value is utilized by the driver logic.
The operational impact of exploiting this integer underflow is multifaceted and potentially catastrophic for system integrity. A successful exploitation could allow a local attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution within the kernel context. This effectively grants the attacker full control over the underlying hardware and operating system, bypassing standard security boundaries such as User Account Control on Windows or SELinux/AppArmor policies on Linux. Beyond remote code execution capabilities, this vulnerability can be leveraged for denial of service attacks by crashing the graphics subsystem or the entire operating system kernel through invalid memory access attempts. Furthermore, it facilitates privilege escalation from a low-privileged user account to SYSTEM or root level permissions, allowing persistent unauthorized access and control over sensitive data stored on the machine.
From an information security perspective, this vulnerability also poses significant risks regarding confidentiality and integrity. The ability to read arbitrary kernel memory can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information such as cryptographic keys, session tokens, or other user credentials residing in protected memory regions. Additionally, the potential for writing to arbitrary memory locations enables data tampering, where an attacker could modify critical system structures or application data to alter behavior or hide malicious activities. This aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-192, which classifies integer underflow as a distinct weakness leading to buffer overflows or other exploitable conditions. The attack vector typically falls under ATT&CK technique T1055, Process Injection, specifically when leveraging kernel-level privileges for persistence and evasion of endpoint detection mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve the immediate application of vendor-provided patches that address the arithmetic validation logic within the driver's kernel components. System administrators should prioritize updating NVIDIA GPU drivers to versions where this integer underflow has been remediated through proper input sanitization and bounds checking before performing calculations. In environments where patching is not immediately feasible, restricting user access to graphics-intensive applications or disabling unnecessary display features can reduce the attack surface. Additionally, deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that monitor for anomalous kernel-mode activity may help detect exploitation attempts in real-time, although prevention through software updates remains the most effective defense against this class of vulnerabilities.