Cloudanix VulnDB

CVE-2016-7382

High · 7.8

CVSS

7.8

EPSS

0.4%

Published

Nov 8, 2016

CISA due date

—

Cloudanix analysis

Schedule a fix SSVC: Track

A problem in certain NVIDIA graphics drivers lets people who already have access to a computer reach parts of memory they should not, giving them far more control than intended.

Exploitation
Local Privilege
Attacker needs
Local User
Complexity
Low
Impact
Privilege Gain
Component
OS kernel
Class
Privilege Escalation
Remediation
Upgrade
Effort
Medium
Patch risk
Low

What it actually does

Missing permissions check in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys or nvidia.ko) handler allows local users to access arbitrary physical memory, resulting in privilege escalation.

Why it matters to the business

Local attackers can gain elevated system privileges on machines using affected NVIDIA Quadro, NVS, GeForce, or Tesla products, risking full host compromise; although not listed in KEV and carrying low EPSS with stable trend, the 3621-day age increases exposure on unpatched legacy systems.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access sends a crafted request to the vulnerable driver handler that bypasses the missing permissions check, maps arbitrary physical memory regions, and executes code at elevated privileges.

How to fix it

Upgrade affected NVIDIA GPU Display Driver packages to the versions that contain the fix; for the listed Debian packages apply wordpress (Debian:11): fixed in 4.0.1+dfsg-1, wordpress (Debian:12): fixed in 4.0.1+dfsg-1, wordpress (Debian:13): fixed in 4.0.1+dfsg-1 and reboot if required.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify driver version matches or exceeds the fixed release, confirm the permissions check is present in the kernel module, and run vendor-supplied validation tools or memory-mapping tests that previously succeeded.

Typical attack path

  1. Obtain local user access on target system
  2. Confirm presence of vulnerable NVIDIA GPU driver
  3. Trigger the kernel handler with specially crafted input
  4. Map and read/write arbitrary physical memory
  5. Escalate to kernel-level privileges and execute payload

How to detect it

Review system logs for unusual kernel driver interactions, audit physical memory mapping attempts by non-privileged processes, and inspect process creation events originating from the NVIDIA kernel module after local logons.

What your security team should do

  • Prioritize patching all NVIDIA GPU systems within the next maintenance window
  • Inventory hosts with Quadro, NVS, GeForce, or Tesla cards and confirm driver versions
  • Apply the listed fixed package versions for Debian 11/12/13 deployments
  • Monitor for any local privilege-escalation attempts until patches are deployed

The record

For the NVIDIA Quadro, NVS, GeForce, and Tesla products, NVIDIA GPU Display Driver contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys for Windows or nvidia.ko for Linux) handler where a missing permissions check may allow users to gain access to arbitrary physical memory, leading to an escalation of privileges.

Affected packages

Ecosystem Package Introduced Fixed
Debian:11 nvidia-graphics-drivers 0 367.57-1
Debian:12 nvidia-graphics-drivers 0 367.57-1
Debian:13 nvidia-graphics-drivers 0 367.57-1
Mageia:5 ldetect-lst 0 0.1.346.5-1.mga5
Mageia:5 nvidia-current 0 375.26-1.mga5.nonfree
Mageia:5 nvidia304 0 304.134-1.mga5.nonfree
Mageia:5 nvidia340 0 340.101-1.mga5.nonfree
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-304 0 304.132-0ubuntu0.14.04.2
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-340 0 340.98-0ubuntu0.14.04.1
Ubuntu:14.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-367 0 367.57-0ubuntu0.14.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-304 0 304.132-0ubuntu0.16.04.2
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-340 0 340.98-0ubuntu0.16.04.1
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS nvidia-graphics-drivers-367 0 367.57-0ubuntu0.16.04.1

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