CVE-2022-31608 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers for Linux platforms, specifically impacting GeForce, Workstation, and Compute product lines. The root cause lies in an improper preservation of permissions (CWE-281) within an optional D-Bus configuration file. D-Bus is an interprocess communication (IPC) system widely used in Linux environments to allow communication between multiple processes. This vulnerability allows a local user with basic privileges to interact with protected D-Bus endpoints improperly. Because the permissions are not correctly enforced, such a user can leverage this misconfiguration to perform unauthorized actions that could lead to multiple adverse outcomes, including arbitrary code execution, denial of service (DoS), privilege escalation, information disclosure, and data tampering. The vulnerability affects all versions of the NVIDIA GPU Display Driver for Linux released prior to the August 2022 update. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reveals that exploitation requires local access (AV:L) with low attack complexity (AC:L), low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability's exploitation scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable component or system. This vulnerability is particularly concerning for environments where NVIDIA GPUs are used on Linux systems, including workstations and compute servers, as attackers with limited privileges could escalate their access and compromise system integrity and confidentiality through the D-Bus IPC mechanism.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-31608 can be significant, especially in sectors relying heavily on Linux-based systems with NVIDIA GPUs, such as scientific research institutions, media production companies, financial services, and technology firms. The ability for a local user to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code could lead to full system compromise, data breaches, and disruption of critical services. Confidentiality breaches could expose sensitive intellectual property or personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Integrity violations could corrupt critical data or computational results, impacting decision-making processes. Availability impacts through denial of service could disrupt business operations and service delivery. Since the vulnerability requires local access, the threat is heightened in environments where multiple users share systems or where attackers can gain initial footholds via other means (e.g., phishing, insider threats). The lack of required user interaction simplifies exploitation once local access is obtained. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks, especially as threat actors often develop exploits for high-impact vulnerabilities in widely used hardware drivers. Organizations using NVIDIA GPUs in Linux environments must consider this vulnerability seriously to prevent lateral movement and privilege escalation within their networks.

1. Immediate patching: Upgrade NVIDIA GPU Display Drivers on all Linux systems to the August 2022 release or later, which contains the fix for CVE-2022-31608. 2. Restrict local access: Limit the number of users with local access to systems running NVIDIA drivers, especially in multi-user environments. Implement strict user account management and privilege separation. 3. Harden D-Bus configurations: Review and enforce strict permissions on D-Bus configuration files and endpoints to prevent unauthorized access. Use tools or scripts to audit D-Bus permissions regularly. 4. Monitor for suspicious activity: Deploy host-based monitoring to detect unusual interactions with D-Bus services or unexpected privilege escalations. 5. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection: Use security solutions that can detect and block unauthorized code execution attempts on affected systems. 6. Network segmentation: Isolate critical Linux systems with NVIDIA GPUs from less trusted network zones to reduce the risk of local user exploitation spreading laterally. 7. User education and access controls: Train users on the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce strong authentication and access policies to minimize the risk of initial compromise. 8. Incident response readiness: Prepare for potential exploitation by having detection and response plans tailored to privilege escalation and code execution attempts on Linux hosts with NVIDIA GPUs.