Jetson LinuxOperating system · Nvidia

CVE-2021-1107

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 9.0 / 32.6.1 or later.
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 Linux kernel distributions contain a vulnerability in nvmap NVMAP_IOC_WRITE* paths, where improper access controls may lead to code execution, complete denial of service, and seriously compromised integrity of all system components.

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

NVIDIA Linux kernel driver contains improper access control in nvmap component's NVMAP_IOC_WRITE* ioctl paths. This allows local attackers to bypass memory isolation boundaries, potentially achieving code execution in kernel context with elevated privileges.

MitigationApply NVIDIA's security patch for this vulnerability; restrict access to the affected ioctl interfaces; ensure kernel modules are properly signed and loaded only from trusted sources.

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
Jetson LinuxOperating system
Affected:>= 32.1, < 32.6.1
Shield ExperienceApplication
Affected:< 9.0

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:3.1/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 the NVIDIA product type
    Check if the system is a Jetson device (ls /proc/device-tree/model or check for /dev/nvmap) or a Shield device (check system info)
    Affected if The system is neither a Jetson nor a Shield device - this CVE does not apply
  2. Check Jetson Linux version
    On Jetson devices, run 'cat /etc/nv_tegra_release' or check '/usr/local/cuda/version.txt'
    Affected if Version is >= 32.1 and < 32.6.1 - this indicates a potentially affected version
  3. Check Shield Experience version
    On NVIDIA Shield devices, go to Settings > About > Device or run 'getprop ro.build.version.release' via ADB
    Affected if Version is < 9.0 - this indicates a potentially affected version
  4. Verify nvmap kernel module presence
    Check if /dev/nvmap exists (ls -la /dev/nvmap) or check loaded modules with 'lsmod | grep nvmap'
    Affected if The nvmap device or module is present and accessible - the vulnerability surface is exposed

The system is affected if it is a Jetson Linux device (version 32.1 to 32.6) or Shield Experience device (version below 9.0) with the nvmap component accessible, as the improper access control in NVMAP_IOC_WRITE ioctl paths can be exploited locally.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 9.0 / 32.6.1 or later
Fixed in 9.032.6.1
Interim mitigation

Apply NVIDIA's security patch for this vulnerability; restrict access to the affected ioctl interfaces; ensure kernel modules are properly signed and loaded only from trusted sources.

Recommended fix High confidence

Jetson Linux 32.6.1 or later; Shield Experience 9.0 or later

  1. For Jetson Linux: Upgrade the Jetson Linux kernel to version 32.6.1 or later by flashing the device with the updated Jetson Linux release image
  2. For Shield Experience: Upgrade the NVIDIA Shield device to Shield Experience version 9.0 or later through the system update mechanism
  3. After upgrading, verify the nvmap kernel module version corresponds to the patched release
  4. Confirm the NVMAP_IOC_WRITE* ioctl paths now enforce proper access controls

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

Fix this in Jetson Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing10.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
34.0 hours of engineering $5,940
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $9,504.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1107 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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-2021-1107 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data