CVE-2026-65090 Overview
NVIDIA NemoClaw for Linux contains an operating system command injection vulnerability in its NVIDIA Inference Microservice (NIM) management component. An authenticated local attacker can inject arbitrary OS commands through the affected component. Successful exploitation can lead to code execution, data tampering, information disclosure, and denial of service on the affected host. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command).
Critical Impact
Local attackers with low privileges can execute arbitrary OS commands, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of NemoClaw hosts.
Affected Products
- NVIDIA NemoClaw for Linux
- NIM management component within NemoClaw
- Linux host systems running vulnerable NemoClaw builds
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-08-25 - CVE-2026-65090 published to NVD
- 2026-08-26 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-65090
Vulnerability Analysis
The flaw resides in the NIM management component of NVIDIA NemoClaw for Linux. The component fails to properly neutralize special characters passed into functions that construct or invoke operating system commands. An authenticated local user can supply crafted input that terminates the intended command context and appends attacker-controlled arguments. The injected content is then executed by the underlying shell or command interpreter with the privileges of the NemoClaw process.
Because the attack vector is local and requires low privileges, exploitation is realistic on multi-tenant systems, shared inference hosts, and developer workstations where NemoClaw is installed. The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) currently rates this issue in the mid range of the population, indicating meaningful but not widespread near-term exploitation likelihood.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper input neutralization when the NIM management component builds command strings for execution. Untrusted parameters are concatenated into shell invocations without safe argument handling, allowing metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, and backticks to alter command semantics. This category of defect is classified as CWE-78.
Attack Vector
An attacker must first obtain local, authenticated access to the host running NemoClaw. From there, the attacker interacts with the vulnerable NIM management interface and supplies crafted input in a parameter that is passed to an OS command. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own actions. The injected command inherits the privileges of the NemoClaw service, which enables follow-on activity such as credential theft, lateral movement, tampering with model artifacts, or disruption of inference workloads.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently listed in the referenced advisories. See the NVIDIA product security repository for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-65090
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by NemoClaw or NIM management binaries, especially shells such as /bin/sh, /bin/bash, or interpreters like python, perl, or curl.
- Command-line arguments to NemoClaw processes containing shell metacharacters (;, |, &, `, $()).
- New or modified files in NemoClaw working directories, model registries, or system paths outside expected update workflows.
- Outbound network connections initiated by NemoClaw service accounts to unfamiliar hosts.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor process ancestry for NemoClaw and NIM management components and flag any execution of shell or scripting interpreters.
- Correlate authentication events on NemoClaw hosts with subsequent process creation to identify low-privileged users triggering unusual commands.
- Alert on writes to sensitive paths (for example /etc, ~/.ssh, cron directories) by processes descended from NemoClaw.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Linux auditd rules for execve calls whose parent is a NemoClaw or NIM process.
- Forward endpoint telemetry to a central data lake to support retroactive hunts once updated indicators emerge.
- Review NemoClaw application logs for input parameters containing command separators or encoded payloads.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-65090
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all Linux hosts running NVIDIA NemoClaw and identify the installed version of the NIM management component.
- Restrict local access to NemoClaw hosts to trusted administrators until a patched build is deployed.
- Rotate any credentials, tokens, or API keys accessible to the NemoClaw service account if suspicious activity is observed.
Patch Information
Apply the fixed release referenced in the NVIDIA product security advisory. Consult the NVD entry for CVE-2026-65090 and the CVE.org record for the authoritative list of affected and fixed versions once populated by the vendor.
Workarounds
- Limit which local accounts can reach the NIM management interface using operating system access controls and service-level authorization.
- Run NemoClaw under a dedicated, unprivileged service account with the minimum filesystem and network permissions required.
- Apply mandatory access controls such as SELinux or AppArmor profiles to constrain command execution by NemoClaw processes.
- Audit and remove any local user accounts that no longer require access to inference infrastructure.
# Example: restrict execution of NemoClaw binaries to a dedicated group
sudo groupadd nemoclaw-admins
sudo chown root:nemoclaw-admins /opt/nvidia/nemoclaw/bin/nim-manage
sudo chmod 750 /opt/nvidia/nemoclaw/bin/nim-manage
# Example auditd rule to log command execution by the NemoClaw service
-a always,exit -F arch=b64 -S execve -F euid=nemoclaw -k nemoclaw_exec
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
