CVE-2021-1116

System crash via user-created NULL pointer

Published Oct 27, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

NULL pointer dereference in NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Windows allows local users to crash the system through user-mode code. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel-mode layer dereferences a NULL pointer that user-mode code can create, but NVIDIA has not disclosed the responsible interface or validation failure. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and causes an availability-only system crash, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

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 system through user-mode code. The nvlddmkm.sys kernel-mode layer dereferences a NULL pointer that user-mode code can create, but NVIDIA has not disclosed the responsible interface or validation failure. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and causes an availability-only system crash, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1116
Published
Oct 27, 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. Oct 27, 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=All GPU Driver versions

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NVIDIA · NVIDIA GPU Display Driverversion=All GPU Driver versions

Published CVSS scores

5.5NVIDIA CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
2.1NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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.

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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