CVE-2025-23245 Overview
NVIDIA vGPU software for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager (vGPU plugin), where it allows a guest to access global resources. A successful exploit of this vulnerability might lead to denial of service.
Critical Impact
A guest virtual machine can access global resources through the vGPU Manager plugin, potentially causing denial of service conditions that affect the availability of the host system and other guest VMs.
Affected Products
- NVIDIA vGPU software for Windows
- NVIDIA vGPU software for Linux
- NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager (vGPU plugin)
Discovery Timeline
- May 1, 2025 - CVE CVE-2025-23245 published to NVD
- May 2, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-23245
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource), which indicates that the vGPU Manager improperly configures permissions for global resources that should be restricted from guest access. The flaw resides in the Virtual GPU Manager plugin, which serves as the intermediary between guest virtual machines and the physical GPU hardware.
When a guest VM interacts with the vGPU Manager, insufficient access controls allow the guest to reach and manipulate global resources that are shared across the virtualization environment. This improper permission assignment breaks the isolation boundary that should exist between guest VMs and the hypervisor's global resource pool.
Root Cause
The root cause stems from CWE-732 (Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource). The vGPU plugin fails to properly enforce access restrictions on global resources, allowing guest virtual machines to interact with resources that should be protected and accessible only to the hypervisor or host system. This is a design flaw in how the permission model is implemented within the Virtual GPU Manager component.
Attack Vector
The attack requires local access to a guest virtual machine running on a system with NVIDIA vGPU software. An attacker with low-level privileges within a guest VM can exploit this vulnerability without requiring user interaction. The scope is unchanged, meaning the impact is contained to the vulnerable component's security authority.
The exploitation path involves a malicious actor within a guest VM leveraging the improper access controls in the vGPU Manager to access global resources. By manipulating these resources inappropriately, the attacker can induce a denial of service condition affecting the availability of the vGPU infrastructure.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23245
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual resource access patterns from guest VMs attempting to interact with global vGPU resources
- Unexpected crashes or restarts of the vGPU Manager service
- Performance degradation or unavailability of GPU resources across multiple guest VMs
- Abnormal log entries in NVIDIA vGPU Manager logs indicating access violations or resource conflicts
Detection Strategies
- Monitor vGPU Manager logs for anomalous guest-to-host resource access attempts
- Implement host-based intrusion detection to identify unusual process behavior in the vGPU plugin
- Configure alerts for vGPU Manager service crashes or unexpected restarts
- Deploy SentinelOne agents on hypervisor hosts to detect exploitation attempts targeting virtualization components
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for the NVIDIA vGPU Manager component
- Monitor system availability metrics for GPU resources and vGPU services
- Implement centralized log collection for correlation of events across multiple virtualized hosts
- Track resource utilization patterns that may indicate denial of service attempts
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23245
Immediate Actions Required
- Review the NVIDIA Support Answer for official patch and mitigation guidance
- Inventory all systems running NVIDIA vGPU software on Windows and Linux platforms
- Prioritize patching for systems in multi-tenant environments where guest isolation is critical
- Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement in case of exploitation
Patch Information
NVIDIA has released security updates addressing this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the official NVIDIA Security Advisory for specific patch versions and download links. Apply the latest vGPU software updates that include fixes for CVE-2025-23245.
Workarounds
- Restrict guest VM access to vGPU resources where possible until patches are applied
- Implement additional monitoring on systems running vGPU software to detect exploitation attempts
- Consider temporarily disabling vGPU functionality for non-critical workloads in high-security environments
- Ensure hypervisor-level access controls are properly configured to provide defense in depth
# Verify NVIDIA vGPU software version
nvidia-smi -q | grep "Driver Version"
nvidia-smi vgpu -q | grep "vGPU Software"
# Check vGPU Manager status for anomalies
systemctl status nvidia-vgpu-mgr
journalctl -u nvidia-vgpu-mgr --since "24 hours ago"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
