CVE-2023-31031 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability classified under CWE-122, found in the SBIOS firmware of NVIDIA DGX Station A100 and DGX Station A800 systems. The flaw exists in all SBIOS versions prior to 1.25 and can be triggered by a user with local access and high privileges. The vulnerability allows an attacker to overwrite heap memory, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution, denial of service, information disclosure, or data tampering. The exploitation requires local access with elevated privileges (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), and has low attack complexity (AC:L). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.2, reflecting medium severity primarily because the attack vector is local and requires privileged access. No public exploits or active exploitation in the wild have been reported to date. The affected systems, NVIDIA DGX A100 and A800, are specialized AI and high-performance computing platforms widely used in research and enterprise environments. The vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of systems running vulnerable SBIOS versions. Remediation involves updating the SBIOS firmware to version 1.25 or later once available from NVIDIA. Organizations should also enforce strict local access controls and monitor system logs for suspicious activity indicative of exploitation attempts.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2023-31031 could be significant in environments where NVIDIA DGX A100 or A800 systems are deployed, particularly in AI research, data science, and high-performance computing centers. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate sensitive AI workloads or disrupt critical computational tasks. Denial of service could interrupt ongoing research or business operations relying on these systems. Information disclosure and data tampering risks could compromise intellectual property or sensitive datasets processed on these platforms. However, the requirement for local privileged access limits the attack surface to insiders or attackers who have already breached perimeter defenses. This vulnerability underscores the importance of securing physical and administrative access to critical AI infrastructure. Given the strategic importance of AI and HPC in Europe’s digital economy and research sectors, exploitation could have downstream effects on innovation and competitiveness.

1. Immediately update the SBIOS firmware on all NVIDIA DGX Station A100 and A800 systems to version 1.25 or later once NVIDIA releases the patch. 2. Restrict local access to these systems strictly to trusted administrators and implement strong authentication mechanisms for privileged accounts. 3. Employ physical security controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to DGX hardware. 4. Monitor system logs and security telemetry for unusual activity that could indicate exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process behavior or memory anomalies. 5. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments on AI infrastructure to identify and remediate firmware and software vulnerabilities promptly. 6. Implement network segmentation to isolate DGX systems from less trusted network zones, reducing the risk of lateral movement by attackers. 7. Educate administrators on the risks of local privilege escalation vulnerabilities and enforce the principle of least privilege in administrative roles.