CVE-2024-0107: Nvidia GPU Display Driver RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2024-0107 Overview

CVE-2024-0107 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability affecting NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows. The vulnerability exists in the user mode layer of the driver, where an unprivileged regular user can trigger an out-of-bounds read condition. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to severe consequences including code execution, denial of service, escalation of privileges, information disclosure, and data tampering.

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read), a memory corruption class vulnerability that occurs when a program reads data past the end or before the beginning of the intended buffer. In the context of GPU display drivers, such vulnerabilities can be particularly dangerous given the elevated privileges these components typically operate with.

Critical Impact

An unprivileged local attacker can exploit this vulnerability to potentially achieve code execution, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service on affected Windows systems running vulnerable NVIDIA GPU drivers.

Affected Products

• NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows (versions prior to security patch)
• NVIDIA GeForce GPU products
• NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics products
• NVIDIA RTX products
• NVIDIA Tesla data center GPUs
• NVIDIA Virtual GPU (vGPU) software
• NVIDIA Cloud Gaming

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-08-08 - CVE-2024-0107 published to NVD
• 2025-11-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-0107

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the user mode layer of NVIDIA's GPU Display Driver for Windows. This component is responsible for handling communication between user-space applications and the kernel-mode driver, managing GPU resources, and processing graphics rendering requests.

The out-of-bounds read vulnerability allows an unprivileged user to cause the driver to read memory outside of allocated buffer boundaries. When this occurs, the driver may access adjacent memory regions that could contain sensitive information, other process data, or critical system structures.

According to the Talos Intelligence Vulnerability Report, this vulnerability requires local access to exploit. The attack complexity is low, meaning that once an attacker has local access to a system with vulnerable NVIDIA drivers, exploitation is relatively straightforward and does not require significant specialized knowledge.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-0107 is improper bounds checking in the user mode layer of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver. When processing certain operations or data structures, the driver fails to properly validate buffer sizes or array indices before performing read operations. This lack of validation allows read operations to extend beyond the allocated memory region.

In user mode GPU driver components, such vulnerabilities often arise from:

• Insufficient validation of user-supplied size parameters
• Improper handling of malformed or oversized input data
• Missing boundary checks in data parsing routines
• Type confusion leading to incorrect buffer size calculations

Attack Vector

This vulnerability requires local access to exploit, meaning an attacker must already have access to the target system (either through legitimate access, another vulnerability, or social engineering). The attack does not require user interaction, making it suitable for automated exploitation once initial access is obtained.

The exploitation scenario involves an attacker:

1. Gaining local access to a Windows system with vulnerable NVIDIA GPU drivers installed
2. Crafting malicious input or triggering specific operations that cause the driver to read beyond allocated buffer boundaries
3. Leveraging the out-of-bounds read to leak sensitive information or destabilize the system
4. Potentially chaining this vulnerability with other techniques to achieve code execution or privilege escalation

The user mode layer operates in the context of the calling application, but successful exploitation could potentially allow an attacker to escalate privileges, execute arbitrary code, or cause a denial of service condition by crashing the driver or dependent system components.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-0107

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes or instability in the NVIDIA display driver (nvlddmkm.sys or related user mode components)
• Abnormal memory access patterns in applications interacting with GPU resources
• System event logs showing driver crashes or memory access violations related to NVIDIA components
• Unusual process behavior from applications attempting to exploit GPU driver interfaces

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for abnormal GPU driver crashes using Windows Event Log filtering for NVIDIA-related errors
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to identify suspicious patterns of GPU API calls that may indicate exploitation attempts
• Implement application whitelisting to control which applications can interact with GPU driver interfaces
• Use memory protection tools to detect out-of-bounds read attempts in user mode driver components

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for Windows display driver stack components
• Configure SentinelOne agents to monitor for driver instability and anomalous GPU-related activity
• Establish baseline behavior for GPU driver operations and alert on deviations
• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts following GPU driver interactions

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-0107

Immediate Actions Required

• Update all NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers to the latest patched versions available from NVIDIA
• Inventory all systems running NVIDIA GPU hardware and verify current driver versions
• Prioritize patching for systems in multi-user environments where unprivileged users have local access
• Consider restricting local access to critical systems until patches can be applied

Patch Information

NVIDIA has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the NVIDIA Support Article for specific version information and download links for patched drivers.

The patch addresses the improper bounds checking in the user mode layer by implementing proper validation of buffer sizes and array indices before read operations. Organizations should prioritize deployment of these updates, particularly on systems where multiple users have local access or where the system processes sensitive data.

Workarounds

• Restrict local user access to systems with NVIDIA GPUs until patches can be applied
• Implement application control policies to limit which applications can interact with GPU drivers
• Deploy endpoint protection solutions with behavioral detection capabilities to identify exploitation attempts
• Consider disabling unnecessary GPU features or services on high-security systems until patched

For systems where immediate patching is not possible, organizations should implement compensating controls and monitor closely for signs of exploitation while planning patch deployment.