CVE-2026-47593 in GeForce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer where an unprivileged user can cause an out-of-bounds write. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, escalation of privileges, and denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The NVIDIA Graphics Kernel Mode driver for Microsoft Windows presents a critical security flaw within its memory management subsystem that allows local attackers to perform out-of-bounds writes. This vulnerability stems from insufficient validation checks when the kernel-mode component processes specific display-related IOCTL requests or handles graphics context allocations. Because the affected code operates at Ring 0, it possesses unrestricted access to system memory and hardware resources. An unprivileged user, who typically lacks administrative rights on a Windows workstation, can interact with this driver through standard application programming interfaces exposed by the operating system for GPU rendering tasks. By crafting malicious input parameters that exceed expected buffer boundaries or trigger specific edge cases in the allocation logic, an attacker can force the kernel to write data beyond the allocated memory region. This type of flaw is characteristic of improper access control mechanisms where boundary conditions are not rigorously enforced before performing memory operations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential for privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution. An out-of-bounds write in a kernel-mode driver allows an attacker to overwrite adjacent data structures, such as function pointers, exception handlers, or security tokens like the SYSTEM token used by Windows for administrative privileges. By carefully controlling the memory layout through heap spraying techniques or other exploitation methods, an adversary can redirect program flow to execute arbitrary shellcode within the context of the current process or escalate their rights to that of a local administrator. This effectively bypasses standard user account control measures and grants full control over the compromised system. Furthermore, if the exploit fails to achieve code execution but still corrupts critical kernel structures, it will likely result in a system crash, leading to a denial of service condition for all users on the machine.
From a classification perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write and CWE-269: Improper Privilege Management. The attack vector is classified under MITRE ATT&CK technique T1055 as Process Injection or more specifically T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation, leveraging the trusted relationship between user-space applications and kernel-mode drivers. Attackers often utilize this pathway because GPU drivers are frequently pre-installed and loaded at boot time, making them a persistent target for local privilege escalation attacks on Windows systems where hardware acceleration is enabled by default in most modern operating environments.
Mitigation strategies primarily involve applying the vendor-provided security patches that address the boundary validation logic within the kernel driver binary. Organizations should prioritize updating NVIDIA display drivers to versions released after the disclosure of this vulnerability, ensuring that all workstations and servers with GPU capabilities are patched promptly. In addition to patching, implementing application whitelisting policies can restrict which processes are allowed to load or interact with unsigned or unverified kernel modules, although since legitimate NVIDIA drivers are signed, this is less effective against exploits targeting the driver itself. Network segmentation does not mitigate this risk as it requires local access, so endpoint detection and response solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious behaviors indicative of heap exploitation attempts, such as unusual memory allocation patterns or rapid privilege changes following GPU-related API calls. Regular auditing of installed drivers and disabling unused hardware acceleration features in applications can also reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters.