dbcve.org
Gpu Display DriverApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2021-1117

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
Windows contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) handler for DxgkDdiEscape, where an attacker through specific configuration and with local unprivileged system access may cause improper input validation, which may lead to denial of service.

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 is a denial-of-service vulnerability in the NVIDIA kernel-mode graphics driver (nvlddmkm.sys). The DxgkDdiEscape handler function fails to properly validate input, allowing an unprivileged local attacker with specific system configuration to trigger a condition causing the system to crash or become unresponsive.

MitigationUpdate the NVIDIA graphics driver to the version that addresses this vulnerability. For enterprise environments, deploy the patched driver through standard patch management processes after testing in a staging environment.

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>= 495, < 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. Verify NVIDIA graphics driver is installed
    Check for the presence of nvlddmkm.sys in the Windows System32\drivers folder, or look for NVIDIA GPU entries in Device Manager under Display adapters
    Affected if The driver file nvlddmkm.sys exists on the system
  2. Determine installed NVIDIA driver version
    Open Device Manager, expand Display adapters, right-click the NVIDIA GPU, select Properties, go to the Driver tab, and note the Driver Version field. Alternatively, run 'nvxdsync -v' or check the driver file properties of nvlddmkm.sys
    Affected if A version number is displayed that matches the affected version ranges
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Compare your installed version against: 390 to 392.67, 460 to 463.14, 470 to 472.38, or 495 to 496.48. If your version falls in any of these ranges, the system is potentially affected
    Affected if The installed version is greater than or equal to 390 but less than 392.68, OR greater than or equal to 460 but less than 463.15, OR greater than or equal to 470 but less than 472.39, OR greater than or equal to 495 but less than 496.49
  4. Confirm kernel-mode driver is loaded
    Open Task Manager, go to the Services tab, and verify the NVIDIA Display Container service is running, or run 'sc query nvlddmkm' in Command Prompt to check if the driver service is active
    Affected if The NVIDIA kernel-mode driver service is running and loaded into kernel memory

The system is affected if the NVIDIA graphics driver version falls within any of the four vulnerable ranges AND the driver is actively loaded on the system.

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 graphics driver to the version that addresses this vulnerability. For enterprise environments, deploy the patched driver through standard patch management processes after testing in a staging environment.

Recommended fix High confidence

NVIDIA GPU Display Driver 392.68 (for 390.xx series), 463.15 (for 460.xx series), 472.39 (for 470.xx series), or 496.49 (for 495.xx series) depending on your driver branch

  1. Identify the current NVIDIA GPU display driver version by opening Device Manager, expanding Display adapters, right-clicking the NVIDIA GPU, selecting Properties, and checking the Driver version field
  2. Note which version range your current driver falls into (>=390, >=460, >=470, or >=495)
  3. Download the corresponding fixed driver version from NVIDIA's official website (nvidia.com) or your system manufacturer: for 390 series use 392.68, for 460 series use 463.15, for 470 series use 472.39, for 495 series use 496.49
  4. Ensure you have administrator privileges on the Windows system
  5. Backup important data as a precaution before driver installation
  6. Run the downloaded driver installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation
  7. Restart the system when prompted to ensure the new driver loads properly
  8. Verify the new driver version matches the intended fixed version after reboot
Caveat Driver updates may reset custom display settings; reconfigure any custom resolutions, overclock settings, or application-specific profiles after upgrade

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

Fix this in Gpu Display Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2021-1117 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data