CVE-2021-1078

System crash via kernel NULL dereference

Published Apr 21, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows local users to crash the operating system. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel driver dereferences a NULL pointer, but NVIDIA has not disclosed the triggering input or code path. A low-privileged local account can trigger a system-wide crash without user interaction; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows local users to crash the operating system. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel driver dereferences a NULL pointer, but NVIDIA has not disclosed the triggering input or code path. A low-privileged local account can trigger a system-wide crash without user interaction; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1078
Published
Apr 21, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
NVIDIA
Product
NVIDIA GPU Display Driver
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 21, 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

4.9NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C
5.5NVIDIA CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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