CVE-2021-23201

Disclosure, corruption, and device interruption via microcode loading

Published Nov 20, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Microcode-generation weakness in NVIDIA GPU and Tegra hardware allows local users with elevated rights to read or corrupt data or interrupt the device. The internal microcontroller lets an elevated user identify and exploit vulnerable microcode, generate valid replacement microcode, and load it. OS administrative or kernel rights and direct bare-metal or pass-through GPU access are required; virtualized GPUs and Ampere products are not affected.

CVSS severity7.5
High
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Microcode-generation weakness in NVIDIA GPU and Tegra hardware allows local users with elevated rights to read or corrupt data or interrupt the device. The internal microcontroller lets an elevated user identify and exploit vulnerable microcode, generate valid replacement microcode, and load it. OS administrative or kernel rights and direct bare-metal or pass-through GPU access are required; virtualized GPUs and Ampere products are not affected.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-23201
Published
Nov 20, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
T1542.002
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 20, 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?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

7.5NVIDIACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1542.002Pre-OS Boot: Component Firmware

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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