Critical Security Flaws in NVIDIA GPU Drivers Expose Systems to Code Execution and Privilege Escalation
NVIDIA has recently released a critical security update to address multiple high-severity vulnerabilities discovered in its GPU Display Driver, Virtual GPU (vGPU) software, and HD Audio components. These vulnerabilities, if exploited, could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code and escalate privileges on affected systems, posing significant risks to users across various platforms.
Overview of the Vulnerabilities
On January 28, 2026, NVIDIA disclosed several vulnerabilities impacting both Windows and Linux platforms. The affected product lines include GeForce, RTX, Quadro, NVS, and Tesla GPUs. The most critical of these vulnerabilities are:
– CVE-2025-33217: A use-after-free flaw in the Windows Display Driver.
– CVE-2025-33218: An integer overflow weakness in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) on Windows.
– CVE-2025-33219: An integer overflow vulnerability in the NVIDIA kernel module affecting Linux systems.
– CVE-2025-33220: A heap-memory-access-after-free vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager of vGPU software.
– CVE-2025-33237: A null pointer dereference issue in the HD Audio Driver on Windows.
Each of these vulnerabilities has been assigned a Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifier and a Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) score to indicate their severity. Notably, CVE-2025-33217, CVE-2025-33218, CVE-2025-33219, and CVE-2025-33220 each have a CVSS score of 7.8, categorizing them as high-severity issues.
Detailed Analysis of Key Vulnerabilities
1. CVE-2025-33217 (Use-After-Free in Windows Display Driver):
This vulnerability arises from improper handling of memory in the Windows Display Driver, leading to a use-after-free condition. Attackers with low-level privileges can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, tamper with data, cause denial-of-service (DoS) conditions, or disclose sensitive information.
2. CVE-2025-33218 (Integer Overflow in Kernel Mode Layer):
Located in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) of the Windows Display Driver, this integer overflow vulnerability can be exploited by attackers to achieve similar impacts as CVE-2025-33217, including code execution and privilege escalation.
3. CVE-2025-33219 (Integer Overflow in Linux Kernel Module):
This flaw affects the NVIDIA kernel module on Linux systems. An integer overflow can lead to code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, DoS, and information disclosure. The vulnerability spans multiple release branches, including R590, R580, R570, and R535.
4. CVE-2025-33220 (Heap-Memory-Access-After-Free in Virtual GPU Manager):
This vulnerability impacts the Virtual GPU Manager in vGPU software deployments. It allows malicious guest virtual machines to compromise the underlying hypervisor, potentially affecting enterprise virtualization environments running platforms such as XenServer, VMware vSphere, Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM, and Ubuntu.
5. CVE-2025-33237 (Null Pointer Dereference in HD Audio Driver):
Affecting the HD Audio Driver on Windows, this vulnerability can lead to denial-of-service conditions. While it has a lower CVSS score of 5.5, it still poses a risk to system stability.
Discovery and Reporting
Security researcher Kentaro Kawane is credited with discovering several of these vulnerabilities, highlighting the importance of vigilant security research in identifying and mitigating potential threats. Additionally, researchers Sam Lovejoy and Valentina Palmiotti reported the Linux kernel module vulnerability (CVE-2025-33219).
Implications for Virtualization and Cloud Gaming
The vulnerabilities extend beyond individual systems to impact NVIDIA’s virtualization infrastructure. CVE-2025-33220, for instance, poses a significant threat to vGPU software deployments, enabling malicious guest virtual machines to compromise the hypervisor. This could have far-reaching consequences for enterprise virtualization environments.
Furthermore, NVIDIA’s Cloud Gaming platform, which utilizes similar virtualization technologies, is affected by CVE-2025-33219 in both guest drivers and Virtual GPU Manager components through November 2025. This underscores the necessity for cloud service providers and users to remain vigilant and proactive in applying security updates.
Recommended Actions
NVIDIA strongly urges users to update to the patched driver versions immediately to mitigate these critical security risks. The recommended versions are:
– Windows Users:
– R590 branch: Version 591.59
– R580 branch: Version 582.16
– R570 branch: Version 573.96
– R535 branch: Version 539.64
– Linux Users:
– R590 branch: Version 590.48.01
– R580 branch: Version 580.126.09
– R570 branch: Version 570.211.01
– R535 branch: Version 535.288.01
Users can obtain these updates through the NVIDIA Driver Downloads portal. For vGPU and Cloud Gaming deployments, updates are available via the NVIDIA Licensing Portal.
Conclusion
The discovery and disclosure of these vulnerabilities serve as a critical reminder of the importance of regular software updates and proactive security measures. Users and organizations relying on NVIDIA products should prioritize applying these patches to safeguard their systems against potential exploits. Staying informed about security advisories and maintaining up-to-date software are essential practices in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.
