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Virtual GpuApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2023-0181

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-04-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 11.12 / 13.7 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
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 and Linux contains a vulnerability in a kernel mode layer handler, where memory permissions are not correctly checked, which may lead to denial of service and data tampering.

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 GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in a kernel mode layer handler where memory permissions are not correctly checked. This improper permission validation may allow an attacker to cause denial of service or tamper with data.

MitigationApply the NVIDIA driver update that corrects the memory permission check logic in the kernel mode layer handler. Prioritize updating systems with GPU display drivers in security-sensitive environments.

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
Virtual GpuApplication
Affected:< 11.12>= 13.0, < 13.7>= 15.0, < 15.2

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 Virtual GPU software installation
    On Windows, check Programs and Features or run 'wmic product get name,version'. On Linux, check for packages like nvidia-vgpu, nvidia-vgpu-kvm, or query the hypervisor for vGPU metadata.
    Affected if NVIDIA Virtual GPU software is not found on the system, the CVE does not apply.
  2. Determine installed NVIDIA vGPU driver version
    On Windows, right-click NVIDIA icon in system tray and select 'NVIDIA Control Panel', then go to 'System Information' to view driver version. On Linux hypervisor host, run 'nvidia-smi' or check /proc/driver/nvidia/version.
    Affected if Unable to determine version - the vulnerability status cannot be confirmed.
  3. Compare version against affected ranges
    Check if the installed version falls into these ranges: versions before 11.12, OR versions 13.0 through 13.6.x, OR versions 15.0 through 15.1.x. Versions 11.12+, 13.7+, and 15.2+ are NOT affected.
    Affected if Installed version matches any of these ranges: < 11.12 OR (>= 13.0 AND < 13.7) OR (>= 15.0 AND < 15.2) - the system IS affected by this vulnerability.
  4. Verify kernel mode components are active
    The vulnerability exists in the kernel mode layer handler. On Windows, confirm the NVIDIA kernel mode driver (nvlddmkm.sys) is loaded via Device Manager. On Linux, check if nvidia.ko kernel module is loaded via 'lsmod | grep nvidia'.
    Affected if Kernel mode driver is not loaded or not applicable to the deployment, the exploitation vector may not be present.

The system is affected if NVIDIA Virtual GPU software is installed AND the installed version falls below 11.12, is between 13.0-13.6.x, or is between 15.0-15.1.x.

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 11.12 / 13.7 / 15.2 or later
Fixed in 11.1213.715.2
Interim mitigation

Apply the NVIDIA driver update that corrects the memory permission check logic in the kernel mode layer handler. Prioritize updating systems with GPU display drivers in security-sensitive environments.

Recommended fix High confidence

Minimum fixed versions: 11.12, 13.7, or 15.2 depending on your current branch

  1. Identify the current NVIDIA Virtual GPU software version by running nvidia-smi or checking the installed packages
  2. Determine which version branch you are currently using (< 11.x, 13.x, or 15.x)
  3. For version < 11.12: Upgrade to version 11.12 or later
  4. For version 13.0-13.6: Upgrade to version 13.7 or later
  5. For version 15.0-15.1: Upgrade to version 15.2 or later
  6. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the driver version with nvidia-smi
  7. Reboot the system as required to load the updated kernel mode driver
Caveat Driver updates may require system reboot; ensure VMs are migrated or shut down gracefully before updating the hypervisor host

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

Fix this in Virtual Gpu Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,770
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,832.

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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-2023-0181 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