CVE-2012-0952

Kernel memory corruption via undersized ioctl buffer

Published May 8, 2020 · Updated Sep 16, 2024

Heap buffer overflow in the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver before 295.53 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a device-control ioctl. The NV_ESC_CARD_INFO path accepts an ioctl buffer as small as one byte, allocates the kernel buffer to that size, and then writes 50 bytes per device into it. Reaching the vulnerable ioctl requires high local privileges, and the documented overwrite extends 49 bytes past a one-byte allocation.

CVSS severity5.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.31%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap buffer overflow in the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver before 295.53 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through a device-control ioctl. The NV_ESC_CARD_INFO path accepts an ioctl buffer as small as one byte, allocates the kernel buffer to that size, and then writes 50 bytes per device into it. Reaching the vulnerable ioctl requires high local privileges, and the documented overwrite extends 49 bytes past a one-byte allocation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2012-0952
Published
May 8, 2020
Updated
Sep 16, 2024
Vendor
NVIDIA
Product
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
Classifications
CWE-787, CWE-119
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 8, 2020CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 16, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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  1. Affected versionversion=unspecified <295.53

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

NVIDIA · NVIDIA GPU Display Driverversion=unspecified <295.53

Published CVSS scores

5.0NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
5.0Canonical Ltd.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
4.4NIST NVDAV:L/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
CWE-119Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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