CVE-2021-1089
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows attackers to execute arbitrary code, cause denial of service, disclose information, or tamper with data by exploiting uncontrolled DLL loading paths in the nvidia-smi utility. It affects Windows systems with vulnerable NVIDIA GPU drivers. Attackers with local access can potentially escalate privileges or compromise system integrity.
💻 Affected Systems
- NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with administrative privileges, data theft, ransomware deployment, or persistent backdoor installation.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources, or denial of service affecting GPU functionality.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if proper access controls restrict local user privileges and DLL loading paths are secured.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and knowledge of DLL loading paths; no public exploits confirmed.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 462.31 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5211
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download the latest NVIDIA GPU Display Driver from NVIDIA's website. 2. Run the installer and follow on-screen prompts. 3. Restart the system after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict DLL loading paths
windowsConfigure Windows to restrict DLL loading from untrusted directories using Group Policy or registry settings.
Use Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) to set 'Set DLL search path' under Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options
Limit local user privileges
windowsReduce attack surface by ensuring users have minimal necessary privileges and cannot write to system directories.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to prevent unauthorized local users from accessing systems with vulnerable drivers.
- Monitor for suspicious DLL loading activities using security tools and audit logs.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check NVIDIA driver version via nvidia-smi command: 'nvidia-smi' and compare version to 462.31.Check Version:
nvidia-smiVerify Fix Applied:
After updating, run 'nvidia-smi' to confirm version is 462.31 or higher.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event Logs showing DLL loading errors or unauthorized access attempts to nvidia-smi paths
- Security logs with privilege escalation events
Network Indicators:
- Not applicable as this is a local exploit
SIEM Query:
EventID=4688 OR EventID=4663 with process name containing 'nvidia-smi' OR DLL loading from unusual paths