CVE-2024-43101 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Intel(R) Data Center GPU Flex Series for Windows driver software versions prior to 31.0.101.4255. The flaw arises from improper access control mechanisms within the driver, which may allow an authenticated local user with limited privileges to trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition. Specifically, the vulnerability can be exploited by a user who has local access and some level of privilege (low privileges) but does not require elevated privileges or user interaction to cause the system or GPU driver to become unresponsive or crash. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity directly but affects availability by potentially disrupting GPU operations critical to data center workloads. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), no attack vector (AT:N), low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), low impact on confidentiality (VC:L), no impact on integrity (VI:N), high impact on availability (VA:H), no scope change (SC:N), no impact on security integrity (SI:N), and no scope alteration (SA:N). There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no patches or mitigation links were provided in the source data, though it is expected that Intel will release or has released an updated driver version 31.0.101.4255 or later to address this issue. The vulnerability is particularly relevant to environments running Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series hardware on Windows platforms, which are typically used in high-performance computing, AI workloads, and data center GPU acceleration scenarios.

For European organizations, especially those operating data centers, cloud services, or AI/ML workloads relying on Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series hardware with Windows drivers, this vulnerability poses a risk of service disruption. A denial of service could lead to downtime of critical GPU-accelerated applications, impacting business continuity, service level agreements, and operational efficiency. While the vulnerability requires local authenticated access, insider threats or compromised user accounts could exploit this flaw to degrade system availability. This could affect sectors such as finance, telecommunications, research institutions, and cloud service providers that utilize these GPUs for compute-intensive tasks. The impact is primarily on availability, potentially causing interruptions in processing pipelines or delays in data center operations. Given the high reliance on GPU acceleration in emerging AI and data analytics workloads, even temporary denial of service events could have cascading effects on dependent services and customers.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading the Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series Windows driver to version 31.0.101.4255 or later as soon as the patch is available. Until patched, strict access controls should be enforced to limit local authenticated user access to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of exploitation. Implementing robust endpoint security measures, including application whitelisting and user privilege management, can reduce the attack surface. Monitoring for unusual GPU driver crashes or system instability may help detect attempted exploitation. Additionally, organizations should review and harden internal policies around user account management and local access permissions on servers running these GPUs. For environments where patching is delayed, consider isolating affected systems or restricting access to critical GPU resources. Regularly auditing driver versions and maintaining an up-to-date asset inventory will facilitate timely vulnerability management. Finally, engaging with Intel support channels for official patches and guidance is recommended.