CVE-2026-24170 Overview
CVE-2026-24170 affects NVIDIA Unified Fabric Manager (UFM) Enterprise. The flaw resides in the web interface authorization component. An authenticated user on an adjacent network can send specially crafted HTTP requests to trigger improper authentication [CWE-287]. Successful exploitation may lead to code execution and privilege escalation on the UFM management host.
UFM Enterprise manages InfiniBand fabrics in high-performance computing and AI datacenter environments. Compromise of this control plane grants attackers influence over fabric configuration, telemetry, and workload connectivity across attached compute nodes.
Critical Impact
An adjacent-network attacker with valid credentials can achieve code execution and elevate privileges on the UFM Enterprise management plane.
Affected Products
- NVIDIA UFM Enterprise (web interface authorization component)
- InfiniBand fabric management deployments running affected UFM Enterprise versions
- Datacenter and HPC clusters relying on UFM Enterprise for fabric control
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-25 - CVE-2026-24170 published to NVD
- 2026-08-25 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-24170
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability sits in the authorization layer of the UFM Enterprise web interface. The component fails to correctly validate authentication state when handling specific HTTP request patterns. An authenticated user can craft requests that bypass intended identity or role checks. This lets the attacker exercise functionality reserved for higher-privileged accounts.
Because UFM Enterprise operates as the control plane for InfiniBand fabrics, code execution on the management host translates directly into control over fabric routing, subnet management, and telemetry pipelines. The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-287: Improper Authentication].
Root Cause
The root cause is improper authentication enforcement in the web interface authorization component. The application accepts session or identity context from an authenticated user without adequately verifying that the user is authorized for the requested action. Attacker-supplied HTTP request parameters influence authorization decisions the component should make server-side against a trusted session state.
Attack Vector
The attack requires network adjacency to the UFM management interface and valid authenticated access. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to endpoints in the web interface. The authorization component processes these requests without correctly binding them to the caller's true privileges. The result is a chained outcome: authentication bypass leading to privileged operations, which the advisory notes can lead to code execution and privilege escalation.
No public proof-of-concept is available at the time of publication. Refer to the NVIDIA product security advisory for vendor-specific technical detail.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24170
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected HTTP requests to UFM Enterprise web interface administrative endpoints from user accounts that do not normally perform administrative actions.
- New processes, shells, or scheduled tasks spawned by the UFM web service account on the management host.
- Fabric configuration changes, subnet manager modifications, or telemetry export changes without a corresponding change-management record.
Detection Strategies
- Enable verbose access logging on the UFM Enterprise web interface and alert on privileged API calls originating from non-administrative sessions.
- Baseline normal HTTP request patterns per authenticated user and flag deviations such as anomalous parameter sets or endpoint access sequences.
- Correlate web interface authentication events with host-level process creation on the UFM server to identify request-to-execution chains.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward UFM Enterprise web, audit, and OS logs to a centralized analytics platform for retention and correlation.
- Monitor the adjacent management network segment for unauthorized hosts and unexpected HTTP traffic to the UFM interface.
- Track privilege changes, new local accounts, and modifications to authentication configuration files on the UFM host.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24170
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the security update referenced in the NVIDIA product security advisory for bulletin 5809 as soon as it is available for your deployment.
- Restrict access to the UFM Enterprise web interface to a dedicated management network and a minimal set of administrator workstations.
- Rotate credentials for all UFM Enterprise accounts and review role assignments to enforce least privilege.
Patch Information
Refer to the NVIDIA product security advisory for fixed versions and upgrade instructions. Additional metadata is available on the NVD entry for CVE-2026-24170 and the CVE.org record.
Workarounds
- Enforce network-layer access controls that limit the UFM web interface to trusted management hosts until patching is complete.
- Require multi-factor authentication and strong password policies for all UFM Enterprise user accounts to raise the cost of obtaining the authenticated foothold the exploit requires.
- Audit and remove unused or over-privileged UFM accounts to reduce the pool of usable credentials for an adjacent-network attacker.
# Configuration example: restrict UFM web interface to a management subnet (iptables)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.20.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
