CVE-2026-65125 in Infrastructure Controller
Summary
by MITRE • 09/22/2026
NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller for Linux contains a vulnerability where an attacker could cause external control of a file name or path. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to code execution, escalation of privileges, data tampering, and denial of service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/22/2026
The NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller for Linux presents a critical security risk due to the presence of a directory traversal vulnerability that allows an attacker to exert external control over file names or paths within the system. This type of flaw typically arises when software constructs file paths using user-supplied input without adequately validating, sanitizing, or canonicalizing those inputs before use. In this specific instance, the lack of rigorous path normalization enables malicious actors to manipulate relative and absolute references in a way that bypasses intended access controls. By injecting sequences such as dot-dot-slash characters into request parameters or configuration fields, an attacker can redirect file operations outside of their designated directories, effectively breaking out of sandboxed environments or restricted user spaces where the controller operates.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and multifaceted, encompassing code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, and denial of service conditions. When an attacker successfully exploits this path manipulation flaw, they can overwrite critical system configuration files, inject malicious scripts into executable directories, or read sensitive information stored in protected locations such as private keys or credential stores. This capability directly facilitates arbitrary code execution if the overwritten file is subsequently executed by a privileged process running under the context of the NVIDIA Infrastructure Controller service. Furthermore, because these controllers often manage hardware-level resources and firmware updates, compromising them can lead to persistent backdoors that survive system reboots and standard security patches, thereby escalating privileges from unprivileged users to root or kernel level access.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which categorizes flaws where software does not properly neutralize special elements within file names that can cause files to be located outside of the intended restricted directory. Additionally, the exploitation technique maps directly to MITRE ATT&CK techniques such as T1083: File and Directory Discovery for reconnaissance or T1564: Hidden Files and Directories if used to conceal malicious artifacts, while the ultimate goal of code execution falls under T1203: Exploitation for Client Execution or T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter depending on the specific payload delivered. These mappings highlight that the issue is not merely a configuration error but a fundamental architectural weakness in input handling mechanisms within the controller software.
Mitigation strategies must focus on both immediate remediation and long-term defensive engineering practices. NVIDIA should release an updated version of the Infrastructure Controller for Linux that implements strict allow-listing for file paths, ensuring that only predefined directories are accessible via API endpoints or configuration interfaces. Input validation must be enforced at multiple layers, including application-level sanitization to strip out non-alphanumeric characters in path segments and operating-system level restrictions using chroot jails or SELinux/AppArmor policies to limit the scope of filesystem access regardless of input content. For administrators unable to immediately patch, restricting network exposure of the controller interface to trusted management networks only can reduce the attack surface significantly. Regular audits of file system permissions and monitoring for anomalous file creation patterns in sensitive directories are also recommended to detect potential exploitation attempts early.