CVE-2026-47575 in GPU Display Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the display driver DIAG escape handler where a local unprivileged attacker may cause an integer overflow and out-of-bounds write. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to denial of service, and code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows presents a critical security flaw within its diagnostic escape handler mechanism, specifically involving improper handling of input data that leads to an integer overflow condition. This vulnerability arises from the driver's failure to adequately validate or sanitize numerical inputs before performing arithmetic operations associated with memory allocation or buffer indexing. When a local unprivileged attacker interacts with this specific interface, they can supply crafted values that cause the calculated size or index to wrap around due to limited bit-width representation. This integer overflow results in the system allocating significantly less memory than intended for subsequent data structures or buffers.
Following the insufficient memory allocation caused by the overflow, the driver proceeds to write data into a buffer based on the original, larger expected size rather than the actual allocated size. This discrepancy creates an out-of-bounds write scenario where sensitive kernel-mode memory regions adjacent to the legitimate buffer are overwritten with attacker-controlled data. The diagnostic escape handler is typically accessible through standard graphics APIs and system interfaces that do not require elevated privileges, thereby allowing any local user account on the compromised Windows machine to trigger this flaw without needing administrative rights or special hardware access tokens.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is severe, primarily manifesting as a denial of service condition where the operating system may crash due to memory corruption in critical kernel structures. However, the more significant threat lies in the potential for arbitrary code execution. By carefully crafting the out-of-bounds write payload, an attacker can overwrite function pointers, return addresses, or other control flow data within the kernel space. This manipulation allows the injection and subsequent execution of malicious shellcode with system-level privileges, effectively granting full control over the affected machine. Such exploitation bypasses standard user-mode isolation boundaries, elevating a low-privileged process to high-integrity status.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-190 Integer Overflow or Wraparound and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write, which are fundamental categories of memory safety violations in C-based drivers like those found in NVIDIA's display stack. In terms of adversarial tactics, the exploitation path corresponds to ATT&CK technique T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution, as it leverages a trusted application or driver component to execute malicious code on the endpoint. The attack vector is classified as Local (L) with Low Complexity (H), indicating that while no special conditions are required beyond local access, precise exploitation requires careful payload construction to achieve reliable privilege escalation.
Mitigation strategies must prioritize immediate patching of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver to versions where this integer overflow and bounds checking logic have been corrected. Administrators should verify driver signatures and ensure updates are applied through official channels to maintain integrity. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, restricting local user privileges or disabling unnecessary diagnostic interfaces can reduce the attack surface. Additionally, deploying endpoint detection and response solutions that monitor for anomalous memory access patterns in kernel drivers may help detect exploitation attempts before full system compromise occurs. Regular auditing of driver versions against vendor security advisories remains essential to maintaining a secure posture against such low-level hardware interface vulnerabilities.