NVIDIA GPU Display Driver Vulnerability Enables Code Execution and Privilege Escalation - cyberpress.org

NVIDIA GPU Display Driver Vulnerability Enables Code Execution and Privilege Escalation By AnuPriya January 30, 2026 Categories: Cyber Security NewsCybersecurityVulnerability NVIDIA has released critical security updates addressing multiple high-severity vulnerabilities in its GPU Display Driver software, vGPU platform, and HD Audio drivers. The bulletin, updated January 27, 2026, details five distinct CVEs affecting millions of systems worldwide, with attack vectors spanning local privilege escalation and kernel-mode code execution. The most severe vulnerabilities are concentrated in the GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux, each carrying a CVSS base score of 7.8 (High severity). CVE-2025-33217 and CVE-2025-33220 exploit use-after-free conditions in kernel memory, while CVE-2025-33218 and CVE-2025-33219 leverage integer overflow flaws in the kernel mode layer and NVIDIA kernel module, respectively. These weaknesses could allow authenticated local attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution, elevate privileges to system-level access, tamper with data, or cause denial of service conditions without user interaction. The vulnerability landscape extends across NVIDIA’s product ecosystem. CVE-2025-33220 specifically targets the Virtual GPU Manager within vGPU software, enabling malicious guest virtual machines to escape the hypervisor and compromise host systems. This represents a significant risk for enterprises deploying GPU virtualization in cloud and data center environments. Meanwhile, CVE-2025-33237 affects HD Audio drivers with a medium severity rating (CVSS 5.5), introducing NULL pointer dereference issues that could enable denial of service attacks. NVIDIA’s remediation strategy involves coordinated driver releases across multiple branches. For Windows systems, the R590 branch addresses CVE-2025-33217 and CVE-2025-33218 with driver version 591.59, while R580, R570, and R535 branches receive corresponding patches through versions 582.16, 573.96, and 539.64. Linux environments receive parallel updates across equivalent driver branches, with the R590 branch advancing to version 590.48.01. vGPU software running on XenServer, VMware vSphere, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux KVM receives patches through driver versions 580.129.08, 570.211.01, and 535.288.01 for respective branches. The security bulletin emphasizes that affected driver versions span all releases before the patched versions across all driver branches. Organizations utilizing earlier branch releases without corresponding security updates are advised to upgrade to the latest branch release immediately. Hardware vendors may provide modified driver versions 591.55, 581.95, 573.91, and 539.61 that also incorporate these security fixes. Attack scenarios are highly feasible given that exploitation requires only low-level local access privileges and no user interaction. Threat actors targeting enterprises could leverage these vulnerabilities as part of lateral movement strategies within compromised networks, particularly when combined with kernel exploitation techniques. The use-after-free and integer overflow conditions represent classic vulnerability classes frequently weaponized in advanced persistent threat campaigns. NVIDIA credits security researchers Kentaro Kawane, Sam Lovejoy, Valentina Palmiotti, and Thomas Keefer for responsible disclosure of these flaws. The company recommends consulting security professionals to evaluate risk specific to individual configurations, acknowledging that real-world impact varies significantly based on deployment architecture and exposure to untrusted local users. Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of GeForce, RTX, Quadro, NVS, and Tesla driver installations across all driver branches. Enterprises managing vGPU and Cloud Gaming deployments should coordinate updates through the NVIDIA Licensing Portal. Additional mitigation guidance and updates are available through NVIDIA’s Product Security portal and official driver download channels. CVE ID Product Platform Vulnerability Type CVSS Score Severity CWE Impact CVE-2025-33217 GPU Display Driver Windows Use-After-Free 7.8 High CWE-416 Code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, DoS, information disclosure CVE-2025-33218 GPU Display Driver Windows Integer Overflow (nvlddmkm.sys) 7.8 High CWE-190 Code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, DoS, information disclosure CVE-2025-33219 GPU Display Driver Linux Integer Overflow/Wraparound 7.8 High CWE-190 Code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, DoS, information disclosure CVE-2025-33220 vGPU Software Virtualized Heap Use-After-Free 7.8 High CWE-416 Code execution, privilege escalation, data tampering, DoS, information disclosure CVE-2025-33237 HD Audio Driver Windows NULL Pointer Dereference 5.5 Medium CWE-476 Denial of Service Windows Display Driver R590: 591.59 (from all prior versions) R580: 582.16 (from all prior versions) R570: 573.96 (from all prior versions) R535: 539.64 (from all prior versions) Linux Display Driver R590: 590.48.01 (from all prior versions) R580: 580.126.09 (from all prior versions) R570: 570.211.01 (from all prior versions) R535: 535.288.01 (from all prior versions) Follow us on Google News , LinkedIn and X to Get More Instant Updates. Set Cyberpress as a Preferred Source in Google. Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp AnuPriya Any Priya is a cybersecurity reporter at Cyber Press, specializing in cyber attacks, dark web monitoring, data breaches, vulnerabilities, and malware. She delivers in-depth analysis on emerging threats and digital security trends. 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