CVE-2025-33219 is an integer overflow or wraparound vulnerability classified under CWE-190 found in the NVIDIA GeForce display driver for Linux, specifically within the NVIDIA kernel module. This vulnerability affects all driver versions prior to 590.48.01 and was publicly disclosed on January 28, 2026. The flaw occurs due to improper handling of integer arithmetic in kernel-level code, which can lead to overflow conditions that corrupt memory management or control flow structures. An attacker with low-level privileges on the affected Linux system can exploit this vulnerability without requiring user interaction. Successful exploitation can result in arbitrary code execution within the kernel context, leading to escalation of privileges from a low-privileged user to root, data tampering, denial of service by crashing the driver or system, or unauthorized information disclosure. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access and low privileges but no user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the potential impact on systems running NVIDIA GeForce drivers on Linux is considerable, especially in environments where GPUs are used for critical workloads. The vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices in kernel modules and the risks posed by integer overflows in privileged code.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-33219 can be severe. Many enterprises, research institutions, and data centers in Europe utilize Linux systems with NVIDIA GeForce GPUs for high-performance computing, AI workloads, and graphical processing. Exploitation could allow attackers with local access—such as malicious insiders or compromised user accounts—to escalate privileges to root, gaining full control over affected systems. This could lead to unauthorized data access, manipulation of sensitive information, disruption of services, or deployment of persistent malware. The denial of service impact could affect availability of critical infrastructure or services relying on GPU acceleration. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, organizations in sectors like finance, healthcare, research, and government are particularly at risk. The lack of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the vulnerability’s presence in a widely used driver means that unpatched systems remain vulnerable to emerging threats.

1. Immediately update all NVIDIA GeForce Linux drivers to version 590.48.01 or later, as this version contains the patch for CVE-2025-33219. 2. Restrict local user access to systems with NVIDIA drivers to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of exploitation by low-privileged users. 3. Employ mandatory access controls (e.g., SELinux, AppArmor) to limit the capabilities of user processes interacting with the GPU driver. 4. Monitor system logs and kernel messages for unusual activity or crashes related to the NVIDIA kernel module that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting privilege escalation and kernel-level anomalies. 6. Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration tests focusing on local privilege escalation vectors. 7. Educate system administrators and users about the risks of local exploits and the importance of applying security updates promptly. 8. For critical environments, consider isolating GPU workloads or using virtualized GPU solutions that may reduce direct kernel exposure.