# CVE-2017-6251: Missing authorization in NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver

> A missing permissions check in the NVIDIA Windows GPU driver allows local users to access arbitrary physical memory and escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Jul 2017
- **Updated:** 17 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-f6r5-69p8-66w6

## What is CVE-2017-6251?

CVE-2017-6251 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Nvidia Gpu Driver, published on 28 Jul 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

NVIDIA Windows GPU Display Driver contains a vulnerability in the kernel mode layer handler where a missing permissions check may allow users to gain access to arbitrary physical system memory, which may lead to an escalation of privileges.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2017-6251?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Nvidia Gpu Driver.

## How do I fix CVE-2017-6251?

No fix has been published for CVE-2017-6251 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2017-6251 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6251 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Nvidia Gpu Driver

- [CVE-2019-5684](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5684/): Memory corruption in GPU Display Driver (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2015-5053](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-5053/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2013-5986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-5986/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2019-5685](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-5685/): Memory corruption in GPU Display Driver (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2018-6247](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6247/): Null dereference in GPU Display Driver (high 8.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2017-6251 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2017-6251 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Nvidia Gpu Driver, published on 28 Jul 2017. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2017-6251 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Nvidia Gpu Driver. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6251/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6251/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-6251
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-6251
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2017-6251

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-6251/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.