CVE-2026-47578 in GeForce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer where an attacker could cause an incorrect buffer size calculation. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, information disclosure, and data tampering.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows presents a critical security risk due to a flaw located within its kernel mode layer. This specific vulnerability stems from an incorrect buffer size calculation during the processing of display-related commands or memory allocations. In operating systems like Microsoft Windows, the kernel mode operates with the highest level of privilege, often referred to as Ring 0 access. When a driver fails to correctly validate or calculate the size of a data buffer before copying information into it, it creates a scenario where boundary checks are bypassed or miscalculated. This mathematical error allows an attacker to manipulate how much data is written to memory, potentially writing beyond the allocated boundaries of the intended buffer structure.
The technical nature of this flaw aligns with common software weaknesses such as CWE-190 Integer Overflow and CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write. When the driver calculates a size that is smaller than the actual amount of data being processed, or when it fails to account for edge cases in memory allocation requests, subsequent write operations can overwrite adjacent memory regions. This corruption of kernel memory structures disrupts the integrity of the operating system's internal state. Because this occurs within the graphics display driver, which runs with high privileges and is frequently invoked by various applications including web browsers, media players, and gaming software, the attack surface is significantly broadened. An attacker does not necessarily need direct physical access or administrative rights to trigger these conditions if they can influence the input data sent to the GPU via standard application interfaces.
The operational impact of exploiting this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted. A successful exploit could lead to arbitrary code execution within the kernel context, granting an attacker full control over the underlying operating system. This level of access allows for complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Specifically, denial of service can be achieved by crashing the graphics subsystem or the entire OS through memory corruption that destabilizes critical kernel processes. Furthermore, escalation of privileges is a primary concern; since the driver already runs at high privilege levels, exploiting this flaw effectively grants an attacker equivalent rights to the SYSTEM account on Windows systems. This facilitates persistent access and deep system integration without requiring traditional elevation techniques.
Information disclosure is another significant consequence. By carefully crafting memory writes or reads resulting from the buffer miscalculation, an attacker may be able to leak sensitive data stored in adjacent kernel memory structures. This could include cryptographic keys, authentication tokens, or other confidential information processed by applications interacting with the GPU. Data tampering is also possible, as the ability to write arbitrary values to kernel memory allows for the modification of security policies, access control lists, and system configurations, thereby undermining the trust model of the operating environment.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion. Attackers leveraging such flaws often employ them as part of initial exploitation chains to gain footholds in enterprise environments or to maintain persistence after gaining lower-level access. The presence of kernel-mode drivers with complex memory management logic has historically been a source of high-severity vulnerabilities, making regular updates essential for maintaining system security posture.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the latest driver patches provided by NVIDIA as soon as they become available. These updates typically include code changes that enforce strict bounds checking and validate buffer sizes against actual allocation limits before performing memory operations. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, administrators should consider restricting user privileges to prevent non-administrative users from installing or updating drivers, although this does not mitigate the risk posed by already installed vulnerable versions. Additionally, enabling hardware-enforced stack protection features and ensuring that operating system security patches are current can provide additional layers of defense against exploitation attempts. Monitoring for unusual kernel-mode activity or driver crashes may also aid in detecting potential exploitation attempts in real-time.