CVE-2025-33181 is a command injection vulnerability identified in NVIDIA Cumulus Linux GA and NVOS products, specifically affecting the NVUE interface. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in user-supplied input, classified under CWE-77. This allows a low-privileged user to inject arbitrary commands that the system executes with elevated privileges. The vulnerability affects all versions prior to 5.14, including 5.13.x, 5.12.x, and older GA releases. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.3, reflecting high severity due to the potential for complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R), but with low attack complexity (AC:L). The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is confined to the vulnerable component but can lead to privilege escalation on the host. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a significant risk in environments where multiple users have access to the NVUE interface. The NVUE interface is typically used for network device management, making this vulnerability critical for network infrastructure security. The lack of available patches at the time of reporting necessitates immediate mitigation efforts by administrators.

The exploitation of CVE-2025-33181 can lead to full privilege escalation from a low-privileged user to root or equivalent administrative rights on devices running affected NVIDIA Cumulus Linux versions. This compromises system confidentiality by allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data, integrity by enabling arbitrary command execution and potential system manipulation, and availability by potentially disrupting network device operations. Given that Cumulus Linux is widely used in data center networking and cloud infrastructure, successful exploitation could lead to network outages, data breaches, and lateral movement within enterprise environments. Organizations relying on these systems for critical network functions face increased risk of operational disruption and data compromise. The local attack vector and requirement for user interaction reduce the likelihood of remote exploitation but do not eliminate risk in multi-user or shared environments. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently limits immediate widespread impact but does not diminish the urgency for remediation.

1. Upgrade all affected NVIDIA Cumulus Linux GA installations to version 5.14 or later as soon as it becomes available, as this version addresses the vulnerability. 2. Until patches are applied, restrict access to the NVUE interface strictly to trusted administrators and limit the number of users with low privileges who can interact with this interface. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on any user inputs processed by the NVUE interface to prevent injection of special characters or commands. 4. Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to monitor for unusual command executions or privilege escalations on network devices. 5. Review and tighten user privilege assignments to ensure the principle of least privilege is enforced, minimizing the number of users with access to vulnerable interfaces. 6. Conduct regular audits of device configurations and logs to detect any signs of attempted exploitation. 7. Consider network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from general user access. 8. Stay informed on NVIDIA security advisories for official patches and updates related to this vulnerability.