dbcve.org
Gpu Display DriverApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2021-1116

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-10-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 392.68 / 463.15 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys), where a NULL pointer dereference in the kernel, created within user mode code, may lead to a denial of service in the form of a system crash.

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

NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys). User mode code can trigger the kernel to dereference a NULL pointer, causing a system crash (Blue Screen of Death) and resulting in denial of service.

MitigationUpdate the NVIDIA GPU display driver to a patched version that addresses this vulnerability. In enterprise environments, test driver compatibility before broad deployment.

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 Display DriverApplication
Affected:>= 390, < 392.68>= 460, < 463.15>= 470, < 472.39>= 490, < 496.49

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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 hardware in the system
    Open Device Manager, expand 'Display adapters', and look for any NVIDIA GPU listed (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce GTX, Quadro, etc.)
    Affected if No NVIDIA GPU is present in the system - the vulnerability only applies if NVIDIA GPU hardware with the affected driver is installed
  2. Check installed NVIDIA display driver version via Control Panel
    Open NVIDIA Control Panel, click 'System Information' in the bottom-left corner, and note the 'Driver Version' field displayed in the window
    Affected if The driver version shown falls within one of the affected ranges: 390 to 392.67, 460 to 463.14, 470 to 472.38, or 490 to 496.48
  3. Check nvlddmkm.sys file version directly
    Navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\, right-click nvlddmkm.sys, select Properties, go to the Details tab, and read the 'File version' value
    Affected if The file version matches one of the affected version ranges listed above
  4. Compare against CVE-2021-1116 affected version ranges
    Take the driver version number found in step 2 or 3 and verify it is: 390 <= version < 392.68, OR 460 <= version < 463.15, OR 470 <= version < 472.39, OR 490 <= version < 496.49
    Affected if The installed version falls into any of these ranges - the system is vulnerable to the NULL pointer dereference that can cause a Blue Screen of Death

A system is affected if it has an NVIDIA GPU with a display driver version matching one of the four vulnerable ranges (390-392.67, 460-463.14, 470-472.38, or 490-496.48).

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 392.68 / 463.15 / 472.39 or later
Fixed in 392.68463.15472.39
Interim mitigation

Update the NVIDIA GPU display driver to a patched version that addresses this vulnerability. In enterprise environments, test driver compatibility before broad deployment.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to driver version 392.68 (for 390 series), 463.15 (for 460 series), 472.39 (for 470 series), or 496.49 (for 490 series) or later

  1. 1. Identify your current NVIDIA GPU display driver version by opening NVIDIA Control Panel and checking 'System Information' or running 'nvidia-smi' in command prompt
  2. 2. Determine which version branch you are on (390, 460, 470, or 490 series)
  3. 3. Download the appropriate fixed driver version from NVIDIA's website or support portal: for 390.x series use 392.68 or later; for 460.x series use 463.15 or later; for 470.x series use 472.39 or later; for 490.x series use 496.49 or later
  4. 4. Uninstall the current NVIDIA display driver using Windows Device Manager or the NVIDIA uninstaller
  5. 5. Install the downloaded fixed version driver
  6. 6. Reboot the system to ensure the new driver loads properly
  7. 7. Verify the new driver version is installed correctly
Caveat Driver updates may reset some custom display settings; ensure to backup profile settings before upgrading

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

Fix this in Gpu Display Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-1116 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2021-1116 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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