CVE-2025-23296: NVIDIA Isaac-GR00T RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-23296 Overview

NVIDIA Isaac-GR00T contains a code injection vulnerability in a Python component that affects all supported platforms. An attacker with local, low-privileged access can inject arbitrary code into the affected Python component. Successful exploitation leads to code execution, privilege escalation, information disclosure, and data tampering.

The issue is classified under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code. NVIDIA published a support response describing the impact and remediation guidance. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction is not required.

Critical Impact
A local attacker can execute arbitrary code in the context of the Isaac-GR00T Python component, escalate privileges, disclose sensitive robotics training data, and tamper with model outputs.

Affected Products

NVIDIA Isaac-GR00T (all platforms)
Python component within Isaac-GR00T distribution
Downstream humanoid robot foundation model workloads that depend on Isaac-GR00T

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-13 - CVE-2025-23296 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23296

Vulnerability Analysis

CVE-2025-23296 is a code injection flaw in a Python component shipped with NVIDIA Isaac-GR00T, the general-purpose foundation model platform for humanoid robots. The defect maps to CWE-94, meaning the component generates or evaluates code from data it does not properly neutralize.

An attacker who can supply crafted input to the vulnerable component causes attacker-controlled code to run inside the Python process. Because the injected code executes with the same privileges as Isaac-GR00T, the attacker gains equivalent access to the host, its file system, and any GPU or model artifacts loaded in memory.

Exploitation requires local access and low privileges. The confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all high, reflecting full compromise of the affected process. The current EPSS probability is 0.609%.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of directives in code that Isaac-GR00T generates or evaluates dynamically. Common patterns behind [CWE-94] include unsafe use of eval, exec, pickle.loads, yaml.load, or dynamic importlib calls on attacker-influenced input. NVIDIA has not published the specific sink; refer to the NVIDIA support response for authoritative details.

Attack Vector

The attacker must have local access to a system running Isaac-GR00T with low-privilege credentials. The attacker delivers a crafted payload, such as a malicious configuration file, model artifact, dataset, or serialized object, that the Python component parses or deserializes. When Isaac-GR00T processes the input, the injected code runs and the attacker obtains code execution, escalates privileges, exfiltrates data, or modifies training artifacts.

No verified proof-of-concept code is available. Consult the NVIDIA advisory and the NVD entry for technical specifics.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23296

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned from the Isaac-GR00T Python interpreter, such as sh, bash, python -c, or curl invocations.
Writes to sensitive locations (for example /etc, ~/.ssh, or model checkpoint directories) originating from the Isaac-GR00T process tree.
Outbound network connections from the Isaac-GR00T host to unknown destinations shortly after loading a new dataset, config, or model artifact.

Detection Strategies

Monitor Python processes belonging to Isaac-GR00T for anomalous system calls, unexpected module imports, and use of eval, exec, or deserialization primitives on external files.
Alert on modifications to Isaac-GR00T configuration files, YAML pipelines, and pickle or checkpoint files by non-administrative users.
Behavioral AI in Singularity Endpoint can identify code execution and privilege escalation patterns produced by successful [CWE-94] exploitation, even when the initial payload evades signature-based tools.

Monitoring Recommendations

Ingest Isaac-GR00T host telemetry, process events, and file integrity data into Singularity Data Lake for cross-source correlation with OCSF normalization.
Track user activity around Isaac-GR00T service accounts and flag interactive logons or sudo escalations that precede model or config loads.
Baseline the normal Python module load set for Isaac-GR00T workloads and alert on deviations such as subprocess, socket, or ctypes being introduced at runtime.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23296

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the fix documented in the NVIDIA support response for Answer ID 5681 to every Isaac-GR00T deployment.
Restrict local access to Isaac-GR00T hosts to a minimal set of trusted operators and enforce multi-factor authentication for those accounts.
Audit all datasets, configuration files, and model artifacts consumed by Isaac-GR00T since deployment for tampering or untrusted origin.

Patch Information

NVIDIA has published guidance and remediation in the vendor advisory referenced by the CVE record. Administrators should review the NVIDIA advisory for the fixed version of Isaac-GR00T and upgrade all affected installations. The CVE.org record for CVE-2025-23296 links to the same vendor guidance.

Workarounds

Run Isaac-GR00T under a dedicated, unprivileged service account with no sudo rights and no access to unrelated data on the host.
Isolate Isaac-GR00T workloads in containers or virtual machines with restricted network egress and read-only mounts for model and configuration directories where feasible.
Only consume datasets, configuration files, and model checkpoints from cryptographically verified, trusted sources; block loading of pickle or arbitrary serialized objects from user-writable locations.

bash

# Configuration example: run Isaac-GR00T as an unprivileged, sandboxed service
sudo useradd --system --home /opt/isaac-groot --shell /usr/sbin/nologin groot-svc
sudo chown -R groot-svc:groot-svc /opt/isaac-groot
sudo chmod 750 /opt/isaac-groot

# systemd unit hardening (excerpt)
# /etc/systemd/system/isaac-groot.service
# [Service]
# User=groot-svc
# Group=groot-svc
# NoNewPrivileges=true
# ProtectSystem=strict
# ProtectHome=true
# PrivateTmp=true
# ReadOnlyPaths=/opt/isaac-groot/models /opt/isaac-groot/configs
# RestrictAddressFamilies=AF_INET AF_INET6