CVE-2025-23312 Overview
CVE-2025-23312 is a code injection vulnerability in the retrieval services component of the NVIDIA NeMo Framework. An attacker with local, low-privileged access can supply malicious data that the framework processes unsafely, leading to arbitrary code execution in the context of the NeMo process. Successful exploitation can result in code execution, privilege escalation, information disclosure, and data tampering. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code and affects NVIDIA NeMo Framework across all supported platforms.
Critical Impact
Exploitation allows an attacker to run arbitrary code within the NeMo Framework runtime, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of AI training and retrieval workloads.
Affected Products
- NVIDIA NeMo Framework (all platforms)
- Deployments using the NeMo retrieval services component
- AI/ML pipelines that ingest untrusted data into NeMo retrieval workflows
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-08-26 - CVE-2025-23312 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-23312
Vulnerability Analysis
The NeMo Framework is NVIDIA's toolkit for building and deploying generative AI models, including large language models and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) pipelines. The retrieval services component handles indexing and querying of external data sources that feed into these pipelines. CVE-2025-23312 exists because the component processes attacker-controlled data in a way that permits code injection, as classified under CWE-94.
An attacker requires local access with low privileges to reach the vulnerable code path. No user interaction is needed. Once triggered, injected code runs with the privileges of the NeMo process, which in typical deployments has broad access to model artifacts, training data, and GPU resources.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper control of code generation inside the retrieval services component. NeMo interprets or evaluates data supplied through the retrieval pipeline without adequate validation or sandboxing. This lets specially crafted inputs alter program logic instead of being treated as inert data.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access to the host running NeMo Framework. An attacker with a low-privileged account, or a workflow that ingests attacker-controlled documents into a retrieval index, can supply payloads that the retrieval service processes. When the malicious data is parsed or evaluated, the embedded code executes in the NeMo process context. This enables privilege escalation to the account running NeMo, tampering with model outputs, and exfiltration of training data or embeddings.
No public proof-of-concept is available at the time of publication, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Technical specifics are described in the NVIDIA Support Article and the NVD entry for CVE-2025-23312.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23312
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by the NeMo Framework runtime or its retrieval service workers.
- Outbound network connections from NeMo processes to unknown hosts, particularly during document ingestion or indexing.
- Modifications to model files, retrieval indexes, or configuration files by the NeMo service account outside scheduled training jobs.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process lineage for the NeMo Framework and alert on execution of shells, interpreters, or system utilities from retrieval service workers.
- Inspect ingested documents and retrieval payloads for embedded scripting constructs, template expressions, or serialized objects.
- Baseline normal file and network activity for NeMo hosts and flag deviations during retrieval operations.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable audit logging on hosts running NeMo and forward events to a centralized SIEM for correlation.
- Track access to model repositories, vector stores, and retrieval indexes for unauthorized reads or writes.
- Review NeMo application logs for parsing errors, unexpected code paths, or repeated failed retrieval requests that may indicate probing.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23312
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed NeMo Framework release listed in the NVIDIA Support Article as soon as possible.
- Restrict local access to hosts running NeMo Framework to trusted administrators and service accounts only.
- Audit data sources feeding the retrieval services component and remove untrusted or unverified inputs until patched.
Patch Information
NVIDIA has published guidance and a fixed version through its support portal. Refer to the NVIDIA Support Article for the specific patched release of the NeMo Framework and upgrade instructions. Verify installations against the fixed version after upgrade and rebuild any container images that bundle NeMo.
Workarounds
- Run the NeMo Framework under a dedicated, least-privileged service account with no interactive login rights.
- Isolate NeMo workloads in containers or virtual machines with strict egress filtering and read-only mounts for code and models.
- Validate and sanitize all documents and metadata before they enter the retrieval indexing pipeline.
- Disable the retrieval services component in environments where it is not required until the patch is applied.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
