CVE-2023-31024 is a critical vulnerability identified in the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) of NVIDIA DGX A100 systems, specifically affecting all BMC firmware versions prior to 00.22.05. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-121, which corresponds to a stack-based buffer overflow. The flaw resides in the host Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) daemon component of the BMC, where an unauthenticated attacker can send a specially crafted network packet that triggers stack memory corruption. This corruption can lead to severe consequences including arbitrary code execution, denial of service (DoS), information disclosure, and data tampering. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.0, indicating a critical severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component, and it impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for exploitation is significant given the critical nature of the flaw and the high-value target represented by DGX A100 systems, which are used extensively for AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing workloads. The absence of available patches at the time of reporting increases the urgency for mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be substantial, especially for entities relying on NVIDIA DGX A100 systems for AI research, data analytics, and computational workloads. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on the BMC, potentially gaining control over the management interface of the hardware. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical AI and HPC operations, and manipulation or destruction of data. The compromise of BMCs can also serve as a foothold for lateral movement within enterprise networks, escalating the risk of broader infrastructure compromise. Given the critical role of DGX A100 in sectors such as research institutions, financial services, automotive, and telecommunications across Europe, the vulnerability poses a risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive and mission-critical systems. Additionally, disruption of AI workloads could impact innovation and operational capabilities in competitive industries. The high attack complexity somewhat limits exploitation to skilled attackers, but the lack of authentication requirement and no user interaction needed make remote exploitation feasible if the vulnerable BMC is network accessible.

European organizations using NVIDIA DGX A100 systems should immediately assess their BMC firmware versions and prioritize upgrading to version 00.22.05 or later once available. Until patches are released, organizations should implement network-level mitigations such as isolating BMC management interfaces from untrusted networks, restricting access via firewalls and VLAN segmentation, and employing strict access control lists (ACLs) to limit exposure. Monitoring network traffic for anomalous packets targeting the KVM daemon on the BMC is recommended to detect potential exploitation attempts. Enabling logging and alerting on BMC access and unusual behavior can aid early detection. Organizations should also review and harden their supply chain and update management processes to ensure timely deployment of firmware updates. Given the criticality, coordination with NVIDIA support for early patch availability and guidance is advised. Finally, incorporating BMC security into broader endpoint and network security frameworks will help mitigate risks from this and future vulnerabilities.