CVE-2025-23309
📋 TL;DR
NVIDIA Display Driver has a DLL hijacking vulnerability (CWE-427) where attackers can place malicious DLLs in uncontrolled search paths. This allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, cause denial of service, or tamper with data. Users with NVIDIA graphics drivers on affected systems are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- NVIDIA Display Driver
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full system compromise with SYSTEM/root privileges, persistent backdoor installation, data theft, and complete system control.
Likely Case
Local privilege escalation to gain administrative rights, installation of malware, or denial of service attacks.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file permissions, application whitelisting, and restricted user privileges preventing DLL placement.
🎯 Exploit Status
DLL hijacking is a well-known attack vector requiring local access to place malicious DLLs in search paths.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check NVIDIA driver updates for fixed versions
Vendor Advisory: https://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5703
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit NVIDIA driver download page. 2. Download latest driver for your GPU. 3. Run installer with administrative privileges. 4. Select 'Custom installation' and choose 'Perform clean installation'. 5. Restart system after installation completes.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict DLL search paths
allUse application control policies to restrict where DLLs can be loaded from
Windows: Use AppLocker or Windows Defender Application Control to block DLL loading from untrusted paths
Linux: Use SELinux/AppArmor policies to restrict library paths
Set secure DLL search order
windowsConfigure system to use SafeDllSearchMode on Windows
Windows Registry: Set HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SafeDllSearchMode to 1
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict file permissions to prevent unauthorized users from writing to directories in DLL search paths
- Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious DLL loading behavior
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check NVIDIA driver version against advisory; vulnerable if using affected versionCheck Version:
Windows: nvidia-smi or check Display Settings > NVIDIA Control Panel > System Information; Linux: nvidia-smi or cat /proc/driver/nvidia/versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify driver version is updated to patched version from NVIDIA advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Windows Event ID 4688 (process creation) for NVIDIA processes loading DLLs from unusual paths
- Sysmon Event ID 7 (Image loaded) showing DLL loads from non-standard locations
Network Indicators:
- Typically no network indicators as this is local exploitation
SIEM Query:
Windows: (EventID=4688 OR EventID=7) AND ProcessName="*nvidia*" AND ImageLoaded="*.dll" AND ImageLoaded!="*\Windows\*" AND ImageLoaded!="*\Program Files\NVIDIA*"