CVE-2026-47601 in GPU Display Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 09/30/2026
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in the open-source kernel module DMA-BUF import path where an unprivileged local user could cause improper preservation of memory access permissions when importing a read-only buffer from another device's DMA-BUF exporter. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, escalation of privileges, denial of service, information disclosure, and data tampering.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/30/2026
The NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for both Windows and Linux operating systems contains a critical security flaw within its open-source kernel module, specifically located in the DMA-BUF import path. This vulnerability arises from an improper preservation of memory access permissions during the process of importing buffers that are designated as read-only by their originating device. In modern computing architectures, particularly those involving GPU acceleration, the DMA-BUF framework serves as a standard mechanism for sharing buffer objects between different devices and drivers within the kernel space. When one driver exports a buffer with specific constraints, such as read-only access to prevent unauthorized modifications, other drivers importing that buffer are expected to enforce these restrictions strictly. However, in this instance, the NVIDIA driver fails to correctly maintain or validate these permission settings upon importation, effectively creating a gap between the intended security policy and the actual runtime behavior of the memory subsystem.
From a technical perspective, this flaw represents a significant breakdown in access control enforcement at the kernel level. The vulnerability allows an unprivileged local user to manipulate how the GPU driver interprets memory permissions associated with imported buffers. By exploiting this misconfiguration, an attacker can bypass read-only restrictions that are typically enforced by the operating system and hardware mechanisms. This failure to preserve integrity constraints means that data structures or code segments intended to be immutable become writable through the compromised import path. The root cause lies in the complex interaction between user-space applications requesting buffer sharing and the kernel-space driver logic responsible for validating and mapping these shared resources, where a logical error permits elevated write access where none should exist.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its potential to facilitate privilege escalation and arbitrary code execution. Since the flaw exists within the GPU display driver running in kernel mode with high privileges, an attacker who successfully exploits it can gain control over critical system resources. This capability enables a wide range of malicious activities including denial of service through memory corruption or resource exhaustion, information disclosure by reading sensitive data from protected memory regions, and direct tampering with application or system data. Most critically, the ability to write to restricted memory areas allows for the injection and execution of arbitrary code within the context of the kernel, effectively granting the attacker full administrative control over the affected system without requiring prior elevated privileges.
This vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-276, which describes incorrect default permissions where a component does not set security-critical defaults correctly, as well as CWE-284 regarding improper access control that allows unauthorized actors to bypass intended restrictions. In terms of offensive tactics, this exploit scenario maps directly to the MITRE ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, specifically those involving kernel exploitation and memory corruption. The attack vector is classified as local because it requires an existing account on the target system, but the impact radius extends far beyond that initial foothold due to the high-privilege nature of the compromised component.
Mitigation strategies must focus primarily on applying vendor-provided patches immediately upon release, as this type of kernel-level vulnerability cannot be effectively mitigated through configuration changes alone by end-users. System administrators should ensure that NVIDIA drivers are kept up-to-date with the latest security updates provided by the manufacturer. Additionally, implementing strict application whitelisting and limiting local user privileges can reduce the attack surface available to potential exploiters. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, monitoring for unusual kernel-level activity or unauthorized memory access patterns may provide early detection signals, although such measures are less reliable than direct remediation of the underlying software defect.