CVE-2026-65117 in Infrastructure Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 09/22/2026
NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller for Linux contains a vulnerability where an attacker could cause use of a hard-coded password. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to data tampering, denial of service, and information disclosure.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2026
The NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller for Linux presents a critical security flaw rooted in the improper management of authentication credentials within its software architecture. This vulnerability specifically involves the presence or use of hard-coded passwords embedded directly into the application code rather than being dynamically generated or securely stored using industry-standard cryptographic practices. In modern secure development lifecycles, secrets such as passwords should never be hardcoded because they cannot be easily rotated without a full firmware update and are often visible to anyone with access to the source code or binary analysis tools. The existence of these static credentials creates a persistent backdoor that bypasses normal authentication mechanisms, allowing unauthorized entities to gain privileged access to the system components managed by this controller.
From an operational perspective, the exploitation of this hard-coded password vulnerability enables attackers to authenticate as legitimate users without possessing valid user-specific credentials. This capability fundamentally undermines the integrity and confidentiality guarantees provided by the infrastructure layer. Once authenticated through these static credentials, an attacker can execute administrative commands, modify system configurations, or access sensitive data stored within the controller's environment. The impact is severe because it allows for both active manipulation of the system state and passive exfiltration of information that was intended to be protected by standard access controls.
The potential consequences of a successful exploit are multifaceted and damaging to organizational security postures. Data tampering becomes possible as an attacker with administrative privileges can alter configuration files, modify network settings, or inject malicious code into the system processes running on the Linux infrastructure. This leads directly to information disclosure, where sensitive operational data, user credentials stored in associated databases, or proprietary intellectual property hosted within the managed environment can be read and exfiltrated by external actors. Furthermore, denial of service is a significant risk; an attacker could use these elevated privileges to crash critical services, delete essential system files, or disrupt network connectivity managed by the controller, thereby halting business operations dependent on this infrastructure.
This vulnerability aligns with Common Weakness Enumeration identifier CWE-798, which classifies the use of hard-coded credentials as a distinct security weakness. It also maps closely to MITRE ATT&CK techniques related to Initial Access and Privilege Escalation, specifically those involving valid accounts obtained through credential dumping or exploitation of default configurations. The persistence provided by these static passwords allows attackers to maintain long-term access even if other authentication mechanisms are hardened, making this a high-priority issue for remediation.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate isolation and subsequent architectural correction. Organizations should immediately restrict network access to the NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller interfaces using strict firewall rules or VLAN segmentation to limit exposure to only trusted management networks. It is critical to rotate any credentials that might be affected by this vulnerability if they are shared with other systems, although the primary fix requires a vendor-provided patch. Updating the firmware and software components of the NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller to versions where hard-coded passwords have been replaced with dynamic credential generation or secure key storage mechanisms is essential. Additionally, implementing multi-factor authentication for all administrative access points adds a layer of defense that can mitigate risks even if static credentials are compromised in other contexts. Regular vulnerability scanning and code review processes should be enforced to prevent the reintroduction of similar weaknesses during future development cycles.