CVE-2022-42256

What it actually does

Integer overflow during index validation in the nvidia.ko kernel module allows out-of-bounds memory access, enabling denial of service, information disclosure, or data tampering from local context.

Why it matters to the business

Local attackers on systems using affected NVIDIA GPU drivers in Linux, virtualization platforms, or cloud gaming environments can crash hosts, expose sensitive data, or alter memory contents, disrupting operations across virtualized and physical deployments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local user privileges supplies crafted input that triggers the integer overflow in index validation within the kernel driver, leading to memory corruption that can be leveraged for denial of service, data leakage, or tampering.

How to fix it

Update NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Linux and all downstream products (Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, NVIDIA vGPU, Cloud Gaming) to the latest patched versions released after 2022-12-30; verify driver version after installation and reboot.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm NVIDIA driver version is newer than the vulnerable release by running nvidia-smi or checking package manager output; test that the integer overflow path no longer accepts malformed indices.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access on a system with vulnerable NVIDIA GPU driver
2. Craft input to trigger integer overflow in nvidia.ko index validation
3. Exploit resulting memory corruption for DoS, disclosure, or tampering

How to detect it

Review kernel logs for nvidia.ko crashes or warnings around index validation failures; inspect process execution history for local privilege usage coinciding with driver faults.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize patching NVIDIA drivers on all Linux hosts and virtualized platforms within standard change windows given the local attack vector
• Restrict local user privileges where possible to reduce exploit surface
• Monitor EPSS trend and re-evaluate if exploit maturity increases