CVE-2025-23340 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) found in the nvdisasm binary component of the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit, which is used for GPU-accelerated computing across multiple platforms. The vulnerability arises when nvdisasm processes a malformed ELF (Executable and Linkable Format) file, leading to an out-of-bounds read condition. This memory access error can cause the application to behave unexpectedly, resulting in a partial denial of service (DoS) where nvdisasm may crash or become unresponsive. The vulnerability affects all versions of the CUDA Toolkit prior to 13.0. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.3, reflecting a low severity primarily because exploitation requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges (PR:N), but user interaction (UI:R) is necessary to supply the malformed ELF file. The impact is limited to availability (A:L) with no confidentiality or integrity loss. No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is relevant mainly to developers, researchers, and organizations using CUDA Toolkit tools for GPU programming and analysis. The out-of-bounds read could be leveraged to disrupt workflows or automated processes relying on nvdisasm, but it does not allow code execution or data leakage.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-23340 is a potential partial denial of service affecting the nvdisasm tool within the CUDA Toolkit. This could disrupt development, debugging, or reverse engineering activities that depend on nvdisasm, potentially delaying project timelines or automated analysis pipelines. Since the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, the risk of data breaches or system takeover is minimal. However, organizations with high reliance on GPU-accelerated computing, such as research institutions, automotive companies, and AI startups, may experience operational inconvenience. The requirement for local access and user interaction limits remote exploitation, reducing the risk of widespread attacks. Nevertheless, insider threats or compromised user accounts could exploit this vulnerability to cause targeted disruption. The absence of known exploits in the wild further lowers immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation attempts.

To mitigate CVE-2025-23340, European organizations should prioritize upgrading the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit to version 13.0 or later, where this vulnerability is addressed. Until an official patch is available, restrict access to the nvdisasm binary to trusted users only, employing strict access controls and monitoring usage. Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized execution of nvdisasm with untrusted input files. Educate developers and users about the risks of processing unverified ELF files and enforce policies to validate input files before analysis. Incorporate runtime monitoring to detect abnormal crashes or hangs of nvdisasm that may indicate exploitation attempts. For environments with automated workflows, add input sanitization steps or sandbox nvdisasm executions to contain potential disruptions. Regularly review and update security policies related to GPU development tools and maintain awareness of NVIDIA security advisories for timely patch deployment.