CVE-2021-1097 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

NVIDIA vGPU software contains a vulnerability in the Virtual GPU Manager that allows a malicious guest to send inconsistent data lengths, leading to potential information disclosure, data tampering, or denial of service.

Understanding CVE-2021-1097

This CVE identifies a vulnerability in NVIDIA's Virtual GPU Software that affects certain versions, potentially impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems.

What is CVE-2021-1097?

CVE-2021-1097 is a vulnerability in NVIDIA vGPU software's Virtual GPU Manager (vGPU plugin) that arises from improper validation of input data lengths from a guest, enabling malicious guests to exploit this flaw.

The Impact of CVE-2021-1097

The vulnerability in vGPU software versions 8.x, 11.x, and 12.x (prior to specified versions) could be exploited by threat actors to achieve various malicious activities like information disclosure, data modification, or denial of service attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-1097

This section provides a detailed technical overview of the vulnerability, including its description, affected systems and versions, and exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in NVIDIA vGPU software arises from the improper validation of the length field in a request from a guest, allowing for the potential manipulation of data lengths by a malicious actor.

Affected Systems and Versions

NVIDIA's vGPU version 12.x (prior to 12.3), version 11.x (prior to 11.5), and version 8.x (prior 8.8) are impacted by this vulnerability due to improper validation of input lengths.

Exploitation Mechanism

Malicious guests can exploit this vulnerability by sending a length field that does not match the actual length of the input, which could result in information leaks, data tampering, or denial of service.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2021-1097 involves taking immediate steps, implementing long-term security practices, and ensuring timely patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Immediate steps to mitigate the risk include reviewing and applying security patches, restricting guest access, and monitoring for any unusual guest behavior.

Long-Term Security Practices

In the long term, organizations should follow security best practices, conduct regular security assessments, and enhance guest validation mechanisms to prevent similar vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Users are advised to apply the latest patches provided by NVIDIA for the affected vGPU software versions to address this vulnerability and enhance system security.