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Gpu DriverApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2017-6255

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2017-07-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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
NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) handler for DxgkDdiEscape where an improper input parameter handling may lead 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 · high confidence

This vulnerability exists in NVIDIA's Windows GPU display driver kernel-mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) in the DxgkDdiEscape handler. The issue involves improper input parameter handling which can lead to denial of service or privilege escalation. DxgkDdiEscape is a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) function allowing communication between user-mode and kernel-mode driver components.

MitigationApply the vendor-provided patch by updating the NVIDIA Windows GPU display driver to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize updating systems with kernel-mode driver exposure and test for compatibility with graphics-dependent applications.

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
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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. Identify NVIDIA GPU display driver installation
    Check for the presence of nvlddmkm.sys in the Windows\System32\drivers\ directory, or view the display adapter in Device Manager under 'Display adapters' to confirm an NVIDIA GPU is present
    Affected if NVIDIA GPU and its driver are installed on the system (since all versions are affected until patched)
  2. Locate the NVIDIA driver file version
    Right-click nvlddmkm.sys in Windows\System32\drivers\, select Properties, then view the 'File version' information. Alternatively, run 'driverquery /v | findstr nvlddmkm' from an elevated command prompt
    Affected if The driver file exists and returns a version number that has not been patched by NVIDIA for this CVE
  3. Check driver version via NVIDIA Control Panel or System Information
    Open NVIDIA Control Panel and navigate to 'System Information' to view the driver version, or open System Information (msinfo32) and check under Components > Display for the driver version
    Affected if A driver version is displayed that predates the vendor fix for this vulnerability
  4. Verify DxgkDdiEscape interface accessibility
    This vulnerability affects the DxgkDdiEscape WDDM function. Confirm the Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) is in use by checking driver properties - this is the standard mode for Windows Vista and later. The vulnerability exists in any environment where this interface is active
    Affected if The system uses WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) with an unpatched NVIDIA driver, enabling the DxgkDdiEscape handler pathway

A user is affected if they have an NVIDIA Windows GPU display driver installed that has not been updated to include the vendor fix for this CVE in the DxgkDdiEscape handler.

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 vendor-provided patch by updating the NVIDIA Windows GPU display driver to a version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize updating systems with kernel-mode driver exposure and test for compatibility with graphics-dependent applications.

Fix this in Gpu Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,040
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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-2017-6255 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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