CVE-2026-47561 in GeForce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Linux contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer where the size of an ioctl input buffer is not validated, allowing an unprivileged caller to trigger an out-of-bounds write in kernel memory. 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 for Linux presents a critical security flaw within its kernel mode component, specifically involving the handling of input buffers passed through ioctl system calls. This vulnerability stems from a fundamental failure in boundary validation logic, where the driver does not adequately verify the size or integrity of data provided by user-space applications before processing it. In modern operating systems, particularly Linux, the separation between user space and kernel space is enforced to maintain stability and security. Kernel mode operations have unrestricted access to system memory and hardware resources, making any unchecked input a significant risk vector. When an application invokes an ioctl command on the NVIDIA device node, the driver receives raw data from that process. The identified flaw indicates that this incoming buffer size is accepted without rigorous checks against expected limits or allocated kernel structures. This lack of validation allows for a discrepancy between what the user claims to send and what the kernel actually attempts to write into its internal memory structures.
The technical consequence of this unchecked input is an out-of-bounds write in kernel memory. When an unprivileged caller provides a buffer size that exceeds the bounds of the allocated destination structure, the driver writes data past the end of the intended memory region. This overflow corrupts adjacent memory locations within the kernel address space. Such corruption can overwrite critical function pointers, control flow structures, or sensitive security flags maintained by the operating system. Because this operation occurs in ring 0 with full privileges, an attacker who successfully triggers this condition gains a powerful foothold within the core of the operating system. The ability to write arbitrary data to specific memory addresses is one of the most dangerous capabilities available to an adversary, as it bypasses many standard security controls designed for user-space applications.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. Primarily, it enables privilege escalation from a low-privileged unauthenticated or authenticated user account to root-level access. By carefully crafting the out-of-bounds write, an attacker can manipulate kernel structures to execute arbitrary code with system privileges. This effectively compromises the entire host machine, allowing the adversary to install malware, create backdoors, and maintain persistent access without detection by standard endpoint security tools that monitor only user-space activities. Furthermore, the vulnerability facilitates denial of service conditions. An unprivileged user could trigger repeated out-of-bounds writes or cause kernel panics by corrupting critical memory regions, leading to system crashes and loss of availability for all users on the host. Additionally, if the overwritten memory contains sensitive data such as cryptographic keys or authentication tokens, information disclosure becomes a viable attack vector, potentially exposing confidential organizational data.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) identifiers related to improper input validation and buffer overflows in kernel space. Specifically, it reflects weaknesses associated with CWE-120 Buffer Copy without Checking Size of Input and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write in Kernel Mode. From a tactical perspective, this exploit path corresponds to techniques found in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for Linux, particularly those involving privilege escalation via kernel exploits and local code execution through driver vulnerabilities. Attackers often leverage such flaws during post-exploitation phases when they have already gained initial access but lack sufficient privileges to achieve their objectives fully. The presence of this flaw underscores the risks associated with proprietary binary drivers that operate in kernel space without full source code transparency for independent security auditing by the broader community.
Mitigation strategies must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural improvements. The most effective solution is to apply vendor-provided patches or driver updates that explicitly validate ioctl input buffer sizes against expected limits before performing any memory operations. System administrators should ensure that NVIDIA drivers are kept up-to-date with the latest security releases, as vendors typically prioritize fixes for kernel-mode vulnerabilities due to their high severity ratings. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, restricting access to GPU device nodes can reduce the attack surface. This involves configuring Linux permissions so that only trusted users or specific service accounts have read-write access to /dev/nvidia* devices. Additionally, implementing mandatory access control systems like SELinux or AppArmor can provide an additional layer of defense by limiting what actions unprivileged processes can perform on kernel objects, even if a buffer overflow occurs. Regular security audits and fuzzing tests targeting driver interfaces are also recommended to identify similar validation gaps before they can be exploited in production environments.