CVE-2026-24166 Overview
CVE-2026-24166 affects NVIDIA Unified Fabric Manager (UFM) Enterprise, a management platform for InfiniBand fabrics used in high-performance computing and AI data center environments. The vulnerability resides in the session management component and stems from the use of a hard-coded cryptographic key [CWE-321]. A local attacker with the ability to interact with the affected system can leverage the embedded key to decrypt or forge session data. Successful exploitation can result in information disclosure and privilege escalation on the affected host.
Critical Impact
A local attacker can abuse a hard-coded cryptographic key in NVIDIA UFM Enterprise session management to extract sensitive information and escalate privileges.
Affected Products
- NVIDIA UFM Enterprise (session management component)
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-25 - CVE-2026-24166 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-08-25 - Last updated in the NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-24166
Vulnerability Analysis
NVIDIA UFM Enterprise manages InfiniBand fabrics, orchestrating switch configuration, telemetry, and access to fabric-attached compute resources. The session management component protects authenticated session state using cryptographic material. In vulnerable builds, that cryptographic key is compiled directly into the product rather than generated per-installation or stored in a protected keystore.
Because the key is identical across every deployment, any attacker who obtains the key from one instance can reuse it against any other. The attack requires local access and elevated conditions to succeed, which is reflected in the local attack vector and high attack complexity assigned to this issue. Confidentiality impact is high; integrity and availability are unaffected.
Successful exploitation lets an attacker read protected session data and, from there, impersonate authenticated users or fabric administrators. That path enables privilege escalation on the UFM host and, by extension, unauthorized control over the managed fabric.
Root Cause
The root cause is the use of a hard-coded cryptographic key inside the session management logic [CWE-321]. Embedding secrets in shipped binaries means the key is recoverable through static analysis, memory inspection, or file-system access to the UFM installation.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access to a system running NVIDIA UFM Enterprise. The attacker recovers the hard-coded key from binaries or memory, then uses it to decrypt session tokens or generate valid ones for higher-privileged accounts. See the NVIDIA product security advisory for vendor-supplied technical details.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code has been released for CVE-2026-24166.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24166
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected authenticated sessions in UFM logs originating from accounts that have not interactively logged in
- Session tokens presented from processes or users that did not complete the documented authentication flow
- Local access to UFM binaries or configuration files by non-administrative accounts
- Privilege escalation events on the UFM host that coincide with UFM service activity
Detection Strategies
- Audit UFM authentication and session logs for token reuse or sessions without a matching login event
- Monitor file-system access to UFM installation directories and flag reads by unexpected users or processes
- Correlate local logon events on the UFM host with subsequent UFM administrative actions to spot impersonation
- Track process execution and memory access against UFM service binaries for signs of key extraction attempts
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward UFM application logs, host authentication logs, and process telemetry into a centralized analytics platform for correlation
- Baseline normal administrative activity on UFM servers and alert on deviations such as off-hours access or new administrative accounts
- Restrict and monitor interactive and remote logon activity to the management host running UFM Enterprise
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24166
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the NVIDIA security update for UFM Enterprise as documented in the NVIDIA product security advisory
- Restrict local access to the UFM management host to a minimal set of trusted administrators
- Rotate credentials for any accounts that authenticated to UFM Enterprise on affected versions
- Review recent UFM session activity for signs of impersonation or unauthorized administrative actions
Patch Information
NVIDIA has published a security bulletin for this issue in its product security repository. Consult the NVIDIA product security advisory and the NVD entry for CVE-2026-24166 for the fixed release versions and upgrade procedures. Upgrade all UFM Enterprise instances to a version that removes the hard-coded key.
Workarounds
- Limit UFM Enterprise management interfaces to isolated administrative networks and jump hosts
- Enforce least-privilege file-system permissions on the UFM installation directory and configuration files
- Require multi-factor authentication for all accounts with access to the UFM management host
- Monitor for local logons to the UFM host and alert on any non-administrative interactive session
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
