dbcve.org
Gpu DriverApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2015-5053

HIGH · 10.0 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-11-24
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The host memory mapping path feature in the NVIDIA GPU graphics driver R346 before 346.87 and R352 before 352.41 for Linux and R352 before 352.46 for GRID vGPU and vSGA does not properly restrict access to third-party device IO memory, which allows attackers to gain privileges, cause a denial of service (resource consumption), or possibly have unspecified other impact via unknown vectors related to the follow_pfn kernel-mode API call.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The NVIDIA GPU driver for Linux contains a flaw in its host memory mapping path where the follow_pfn kernel-mode API call improperly restricts access to third-party device IO memory. This allows unprivileged or malicious actors to potentially map and access memory belonging to other devices in the system, leading to privilege escalation, denial of service through resource consumption, or other unspecified impacts.

MitigationUpgrade NVIDIA GPU drivers to version 346.87 or later for R346, 352.41 or later for R352 (Linux), or 352.46 or later for GRID vGPU/vSGA. Apply operating system and kernel updates concurrently, and test GPU workloads post-update to ensure functionality.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Gpu DriverApplication
Affected:= 346.16= 346.22= 346.35= 346.47= 346.59= 346.72= 346.82= 352.09= 352.21= 352.30= 352.41

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed NVIDIA driver version
    Run `nvidia-smi` or check `/proc/driver/nvidia/version` to retrieve the currently loaded driver version string
    Affected if The version listed matches one of the affected versions: 346.16, 346.22, 346.35, 346.47, 346.59, 346.72, 346.82, 352.09, 352.21, 352.30, or 352.41
  2. Confirm NVIDIA kernel module is loaded
    Run `lsmod | grep nvidia` to verify the nvidia kernel module is currently loaded and active
    Affected if The nvidia module is loaded, making the host memory mapping path accessible
  3. Verify presence of other PCI devices
    Run `lspci` to list all PCI devices in the system and identify if third-party devices exist beyond the NVIDIA GPU
    Affected if Other PCI devices with memory-mapped I/O regions are present in the system, creating potential targets for the improper follow_pfn access

You are affected if the NVIDIA driver version matches one of the listed affected versions AND the nvidia kernel module is loaded in a system with other PCI devices present.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade NVIDIA GPU drivers to version 346.87 or later for R346, 352.41 or later for R352 (Linux), or 352.46 or later for GRID vGPU/vSGA. Apply operating system and kernel updates concurrently, and test GPU workloads post-update to ensure functionality.

Recommended fix High confidence

R346.87 or later, R352.41 or later (Linux), R352.46 or later (GRID vGPU/vSGA)

  1. 1. Identify the currently installed NVIDIA driver version using: `nvidia-smi` or `cat /proc/driver/nvidia/version`
  2. 2. For Linux systems: Upgrade to NVIDIA driver R346.87 or later, OR R352.41 or later
  3. 3. For GRID vGPU/vSGA systems: Upgrade to NVIDIA driver R352.46 or later
  4. 4. Download the appropriate driver from NVIDIA's official website or Linux distribution repositories
  5. 5. Stop any running GPU applications and X server sessions
  6. 6. Install the new driver package using the distribution's package manager or NVIDIA's installer
  7. 7. Reboot the system to load the new kernel module
  8. 8. Verify the new driver version is installed using `nvidia-smi`
Caveat Driver updates typically require system reboot; ensure GPU workloads can be safely stopped before upgrade

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Gpu Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-5053 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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