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Virtual GpuApplication · Nvidia

CVE-2023-0186

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 contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer, where an out-of-bounds write can 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 contains an out-of-bounds write vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (ring 0). This memory corruption flaw can be exploited to cause denial of service (system crash) and data tampering. The vulnerability resides in the graphics driver component that operates at the highest privilege level.

MitigationApply the NVIDIA driver update or patch provided by NVIDIA for this vulnerability. Prioritize deployment to systems running affected display drivers, as exploitation occurs at kernel level and can compromise entire system stability.

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. Confirm NVIDIA Virtual GPU software is installed
    Open Windows Control Panel > Programs and Features, or run 'Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product' in PowerShell, and look for NVIDIA Virtual GPU, NVIDIA vGPU, or similar NVIDIA graphics/virtualization software
    Affected if NVIDIA Virtual GPU software appears in the installed programs list
  2. Identify the installed NVIDIA Virtual GPU version
    Right-click the NVIDIA icon in system tray and select 'NVIDIA Control Panel', then go to 'System Information' > 'Driver Version', or run 'nvidia-smi' from command line if available, or check the program's properties in Programs and Features
    Affected if A version number is displayed (e.g., 13.x, 14.x, 15.x)
  3. Compare installed version against affected ranges
    Document the exact version number found in step 2 and check if it falls within: version < 11.12, OR version >= 13.0 AND < 13.7, OR version >= 15.0 AND < 15.2
    Affected if The installed version matches any of these ranges: less than 11.12, 13.0-13.6, or 15.0-15.1
  4. Verify the kernel mode driver component is present
    Open Device Manager > 'Display adapters' and confirm NVIDIA GPU device is listed with its driver, or check for nvlddmkm.sys driver file in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\
    Affected if NVIDIA display adapter and kernel driver are present and loaded

If NVIDIA Virtual GPU is installed and the version falls within < 11.12, >= 13.0 < 13.7, or >= 15.0 < 15.2, the environment is affected by this CVE.

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 or patch provided by NVIDIA for this vulnerability. Prioritize deployment to systems running affected display drivers, as exploitation occurs at kernel level and can compromise entire system stability.

Recommended fix High confidence

NVIDIA Virtual GPU driver 11.12 (or later), 13.7 (or later), or 15.2 (or later) depending on current major version branch

  1. Identify the currently installed NVIDIA Virtual GPU driver version using nvidia-smi or the NVIDIA Control Panel
  2. Based on the current version, determine the appropriate upgrade path: if version < 11.12, upgrade to 11.12 or later; if version >= 13.0 and < 13.7, upgrade to 13.7 or later; if version >= 15.0 and < 15.2, upgrade to 15.2 or later
  3. Download the corresponding NVIDIA Virtual GPU driver from the NVIDIA website or enterprise support portal
  4. Back up the current driver configuration if any custom settings exist
  5. Uninstall the current NVIDIA Virtual GPU driver through Windows Device Manager or the NVIDIA uninstaller
  6. Restart the system when prompted after uninstallation
  7. Install the new upgraded NVIDIA Virtual GPU driver
  8. Restart the system after installation completes
Caveat Review NVIDIA Virtual GPU compatibility matrix for hypervisor and guest OS compatibility before upgrading; some older guest operating systems may not be supported by newer drivers

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

Fix this in Virtual Gpu Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
21.0 hours of engineering $3,680
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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-2023-0186 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