CVE-2026-24200: NVIDIA vGPU Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2026-24200 Overview

CVE-2026-24200 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in the NVIDIA virtual GPU (vGPU) manager component of NVIDIA vGPU software. An attacker with local, low-privileged access to a guest virtual machine can trigger the flaw by manipulating stack memory after it has been freed. Successful exploitation can result in denial of service, privilege escalation, information disclosure, data tampering, and arbitrary code execution within the vGPU manager context. The flaw affects multi-tenant virtualization environments where NVIDIA vGPU software brokers GPU resources between guest VMs and the hypervisor.

Critical Impact

Exploitation grants code execution and privilege escalation in the vGPU manager, potentially breaching tenant isolation in shared GPU virtualization deployments.

Affected Products

• NVIDIA vGPU software — virtual GPU manager component
• NVIDIA virtualization deployments using vGPU on supported hypervisors
• Refer to the NVIDIA Support Response for the authoritative list of affected branches and versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-05-26 - CVE-2026-24200 published to NVD
• 2026-05-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-24200

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition affecting stack memory within the NVIDIA virtual GPU manager. The vGPU manager runs in a privileged context on the host or hypervisor and mediates GPU access for guest VMs. When the manager processes guest-originated requests, a code path retains a reference to a stack-allocated object after the corresponding stack frame has been released or repurposed. Subsequent dereferences of that dangling reference operate on memory whose contents have changed, enabling an attacker to influence control flow or sensitive data.

Because the attack vector is local and exploitation requires high attack complexity with low privileges, an adversary must already have code execution inside a guest VM. From that position, the attacker submits crafted command sequences through the vGPU interface to drive the manager into the vulnerable state.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper lifetime management of a stack-resident object referenced by the vGPU manager [CWE-416]. The code releases or unwinds the stack frame while another execution path still holds a pointer to data within that frame. Reuse of the freed stack region for unrelated data turns the stale pointer into a vehicle for memory corruption.

Attack Vector

The attacker operates from within a guest VM that has access to NVIDIA vGPU resources. They issue crafted ioctl or command-buffer requests to the vGPU manager, racing or sequencing them to trigger the use-after-free. Depending on how the freed stack region is reused, the attacker can achieve denial of service, leak host memory, tamper with vGPU state, escalate privileges, or execute code in the manager context. Successful exploitation can undermine the isolation boundary between tenant VMs.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the NVD entry for CVE-2026-24200 and the NVIDIA security bulletin for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-24200

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected crashes, hangs, or restarts of the NVIDIA vGPU manager process or kernel module on the hypervisor host
• Guest VMs generating abnormally high volumes of vGPU ioctl or command-buffer submissions
• Hypervisor kernel logs containing GPU driver fault traces, NULL dereferences, or stack corruption messages tied to vGPU code paths

Detection Strategies

• Monitor host kernel and nvidia-vgpu-mgr service logs for segmentation faults, oops messages, or assertion failures referencing vGPU functions
• Baseline normal guest-to-host vGPU command rates and alert on statistical outliers indicative of fuzzing or exploitation attempts
• Correlate guest VM process activity with host-side vGPU manager faults to identify the originating tenant

Monitoring Recommendations

• Forward hypervisor host logs, NVIDIA driver logs, and VM lifecycle events to a centralized logging platform for retention and correlation
• Track installed NVIDIA vGPU software versions across the hypervisor fleet and flag any host below the patched release
• Alert on hypervisor host reboots or GPU resets that follow guest activity, since these may indicate exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-24200

Immediate Actions Required

• Inventory all hypervisors running NVIDIA vGPU software and identify versions exposed to CVE-2026-24200
• Apply the patched NVIDIA vGPU software release referenced in the NVIDIA Support Response
• Restrict guest VM access to vGPU-enabled hosts to trusted tenants until patching is complete
• Review guest VM administrative access and revoke unnecessary local privileges that could be chained with this flaw

Patch Information

NVIDIA has published guidance for affected vGPU software branches in security bulletin a_id/5821. Administrators should consult the bulletin for the specific fixed versions matching their deployed branch and follow NVIDIA's documented upgrade procedure for both the host vGPU manager and the corresponding guest drivers. Both components typically must be updated to remediate the issue fully.

Workarounds

• No vendor-confirmed workaround replaces patching; treat mitigation as interim only
• Limit which guests can attach vGPU profiles and reduce the number of low-trust tenants on shared hosts
• Increase monitoring of vGPU manager stability and isolate any guest that triggers repeated manager faults
• Where feasible, migrate sensitive workloads to dedicated, non-shared GPU hosts pending patch deployment