CVE-2021-1051

Local privilege escalation via DxgkDdiEscape handler

Published Jan 8, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Improper privilege management in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows local users to alter display settings and disrupt output. The nvlddmkm.sys DxgkDdiEscape handler permits a low-privileged caller to perform an operation that modifies privileged display configuration data. Local access and low privileges are required; successful exploitation can interrupt the display, while confidentiality impact is not reported.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.26%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper privilege management in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows local users to alter display settings and disrupt output. The nvlddmkm.sys DxgkDdiEscape handler permits a low-privileged caller to perform an operation that modifies privileged display configuration data. Local access and low privileges are required; successful exploitation can interrupt the display, while confidentiality impact is not reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1051
Published
Jan 8, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
NVIDIA
Product
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
Classifications
CWE-269, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 8, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 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=All

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NVIDIA · NVIDIA GPU Display Driverversion=All

Published CVSS scores

8.4NVIDIA CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
6.6NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:C/A:C

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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