Introduction
Memory corruption in kernel mode drivers can disrupt anything from gaming rigs to enterprise AI clusters. CVE-2025-23277 is a high-severity vulnerability in NVIDIA Display Drivers for Windows and Linux. It lets an attacker access memory outside permitted boundaries in the kernel mode driver. The flaw affects a wide range of NVIDIA GPU products and virtual GPU (vGPU) environments, and the possible consequences include denial of service, data tampering, and information disclosure.
NVIDIA dominates the GPU market, and its hardware runs consumer desktops, professional workstations, and cloud data centers worldwide. Its display drivers are foundational to graphics performance and security on Windows and Linux, so a vulnerability in them can have cascading effects on system integrity and data confidentiality.
Technical Information
CVE-2025-23277 comes from improper bounds checking in the kernel mode component of the NVIDIA Display Driver. When the driver processes certain requests, it does not validate memory access boundaries, so operations can read or write outside the allocated memory region. Crafted input or crafted sequences of operations can trigger this out-of-bounds access by exploiting the missing validation.
The vulnerability affects the core display driver routines that handle graphics operations and direct hardware interaction. Because the flaw is in kernel mode, successful exploitation can bypass many user-mode security controls and may have system-wide impact. An attacker could use it to cause denial of service (system crashes), manipulate data, or extract sensitive information from protected memory regions. The exact exploitation method depends on the attacker's access and the system's configuration.
No public code snippets or exploit samples are available for this vulnerability. The issue is tracked under CWE-284 (Improper Access Control).
Patch Information
NVIDIA has released critical security updates that fix CVE-2025-23277 and related vulnerabilities. Apply the update for your platform and driver branch:
Windows GPU Display Driver:
- R575 Branch: Update to version 577.00
- R570 Branch: Update to version 573.48
- R535 Branch: Update to version 539.41
Linux GPU Display Driver:
- R575 Branch: Update to version 575.64.05
- R570 Branch: Update to version 570.172.08
- R535 Branch: Update to version 535.261.03
vGPU Software:
- Windows Guest Driver:
- vGPU 18.4: Update to version 573.48
- vGPU 16.11: Update to version 539.41
- Linux Guest Driver:
- vGPU 18.4: Update to version 570.172.08
- vGPU 16.11: Update to version 535.261.03
- Virtual GPU Manager:
- Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu:
- vGPU 18.4: Update to version 570.172.07
- vGPU 16.11: Update to version 535.261.04
- Azure Stack HCI:
- vGPU 18.4: Update to version 573.55
- Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu:
Driver updates are on the NVIDIA Driver Downloads page, and vGPU software updates are on the NVIDIA Licensing Portal. See securityonline.info for patch details.
Detection Methods
The Nessus vulnerability scanner can detect vulnerable NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager installations:
Nessus Plugin 243281: NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager Multiple Vulnerabilities (July 2025)
This plugin compares the installed version of NVIDIA Virtual GPU Manager with known vulnerable versions and flags any match as potentially vulnerable. It works by version comparison, not by active exploitation.
How to Use:
- Update Nessus plugins to the latest version.
- Configure a scan policy that includes Plugin ID 243281.
- Review scan results for flagged systems and follow remediation guidance.
Scan regularly to keep up as new vulnerabilities and updates are released. See Tenable Plugin 243281 for more information.
Affected Systems and Versions
Windows GPU Display Driver:
- R575 branch prior to 577.00
- R570 branch prior to 573.48
- R535 branch prior to 539.41
Linux GPU Display Driver:
- R575 branch prior to 575.64.05
- R570 branch prior to 570.172.08
- R535 branch prior to 535.261.03
vGPU Software:
- Windows Guest Driver:
- vGPU 18.4 prior to 573.48
- vGPU 16.11 prior to 539.41
- Linux Guest Driver:
- vGPU 18.4 prior to 570.172.08
- vGPU 16.11 prior to 535.261.03
- Virtual GPU Manager:
- Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu:
- vGPU 18.4 prior to 570.172.07
- vGPU 16.11 prior to 535.261.04
- Azure Stack HCI:
- vGPU 18.4 prior to 573.55
- Citrix Hypervisor, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, Ubuntu:
Every configuration running an affected version is vulnerable, in both standalone and virtualized deployments.
Vendor Security History
NVIDIA has fixed multiple kernel mode driver vulnerabilities before, in coordinated security advisories. It typically patches all supported branches and platforms at the same time, which points to a mature and responsive security process. Past advisories have included fixes for privilege escalation, denial of service, and information disclosure vulnerabilities in both consumer and enterprise product lines.
