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Gpu DriverApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2017-0309

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-02-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
All versions of NVIDIA GPU Display Driver contain a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer handler where multiple integer overflows may cause improper memory allocation leading to a denial of service or potential escalation of privileges.

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 · moderate confidence

This vulnerability exists in the kernel mode layer handler of NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers across all versions. Multiple integer overflows in memory allocation operations can allow an attacker to cause improper memory handling, potentially leading to denial of service or privilege escalation.

MitigationApply the NVIDIA driver update/patch corresponding to this CVE. Organizations should update NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers to the latest version and verify through vendor security advisories.

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:all versions

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Detect NVIDIA GPU hardware presence
    On Windows: Open Device Manager and expand 'Display adapters' to see if an NVIDIA GPU is listed. On Linux: Run 'lspci | grep -i nvidia' or 'nvidia-smi' to enumerate GPU hardware.
    Affected if No NVIDIA GPU hardware found means the system is not affected. Presence of NVIDIA GPU indicates potential exposure.
  2. Verify NVIDIA kernel mode driver installation
    On Windows: Check Device Manager for 'NVIDIA GeForce' or 'NVIDIA Quadro' under Display adapters, or look for 'NVIDIA Corporation' under 'System devices' for the kernel driver. On Linux: Run 'lsmod | grep nvidia' to check if the kernel module is loaded.
    Affected if If the NVIDIA driver kernel module is not loaded or no NVIDIA driver entries exist in device listings, the system is likely not running a vulnerable configuration.
  3. Retrieve installed driver version
    On Windows: Run 'nvidia-smi' or right-click the NVIDIA GPU in Device Manager and select Properties > Driver tab to see the driver version. On Linux: Run 'nvidia-smi' or check 'cat /proc/driver/nvidia/version'.
    Affected if Any installed version number indicates the driver is present. Per the advisory, all versions of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver are affected by this integer overflow vulnerability in kernel mode memory allocation.
  4. Confirm kernel mode layer handler is active
    On Windows: Verify the NVIDIA driver service is running via Services (nvidia) or check that the display driver is loaded in Device Manager status. On Linux: Confirm nvidia.ko module is loaded via 'lsmod | grep nvidia' and the driver is handling GPU operations.
    Affected if If the NVIDIA kernel mode driver is not loaded or the GPU is in a disabled state, the attack surface may not be exposed despite driver installation.

If an NVIDIA GPU is present with an installed display driver and the kernel mode driver component is loaded and active, the system is affected by this CVE due to integer overflows in kernel mode memory allocation across all driver versions.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the NVIDIA driver update/patch corresponding to this CVE. Organizations should update NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers to the latest version and verify through vendor security advisories.

Fix this in Gpu Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,900
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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-2017-0309 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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