CVE-2021-1089: NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in nvidia-smi where an uncontrolled DLL loading path may lead to arbitrary co
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Monitor (action score 31/100)
- The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.28% (FIRST EPSS).
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Low priority for now. Update when a fix is released; follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in nvidia-smi where an uncontrolled DLL loading path may lead to arbitrary code execution, denial of service, information disclosure, and data tampering.
- Published
- Jul 22, 2021
- Updated
- Jun 16, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.2% · 20th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-427
Report tools
Action score
31
Monitor
Low priority for now.
- CVSS
- 31 / 40 · 7.8 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.2%
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- 7.8
- CNA · nvidia
- 7.8
- agree
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- No public exploit code on record
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
Running WordPress? Scan your site free with WP Lens
Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| nvidia | gpu display driver | cpe:2.3:a:nvidia:gpu_display_driver |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- nvidia gpu display driver427.33 and later · before 427.48
- nvidia gpu display driver452.96 and later · before 453.10
- nvidia gpu display driver462.31 and later · before 462.96
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (nvidia). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
NVIDIA NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
- All GPU Driver versionsaffected
Same product
nvidia: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2026-24187NVIDIA Display Driver for Linux contains a vulnerability where an attacker could cause a use-after-free.35Monitor
- CVE-2022-34671NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the user-mode layer, where an unprivileged user can cause an out-of-bounds35Monitor
- CVE-2022-28182NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows contains a vulnerability in the DirectX11 user mode driver (nvwgf2um/x.dll), where an unauthorized att34Monitor
Published before and after this one in the same product
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-1077Apr 21, 2021 · NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux, R450 and R460 driver branch, contains a vulnerability where the software uses a reference c22Monitor
- ← EarlierCVE-2021-1078Apr 21, 2021 · NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver for Windows, all versions, contains a vulnerability in the kernel driver (nvlddmkm.sys) where a NULL point22Monitor
- Later →CVE-2021-1090Jul 22, 2021 · NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows and Linux contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer (nvlddmkm.sys) handler for control calls w28Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
No known public exploit
No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
No dated events beyond publication.
No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
No credits in the CNA record.
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
- NVIDIA Public Bug BountyIntigriti · paid · up to $15,000
- NVIDIA Vulnerability Disclosure ProgramIntigriti · disclosure only (VDP)
The product’s vendor appears in a public program. Matched by name; verify the scope text in the program.
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- high · data can be read
- Integrity
- high · data or configuration can be modified
- Availability
- high · the service can be disrupted
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality impact
- High
- Integrity impact
- High
- Availability impact
- High
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-427 · Uncontrolled Search Path ElementCVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
nvd-primary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
ATT&CK techniques
- Hijack Execution Flow:DLL search order hijackingT1574.001
- Hijack Execution Flow: Dylib HijackingT1574.004
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by PATH Environment VariableT1574.007
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Search Order HijackingT1574.008
- Hijack Execution Flow: Path Interception by Unquoted PathT1574.009
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.
References
Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.