CVE-2025-33229 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) found in the NVIDIA Nsight Visual Studio Edition Monitor application, part of the CUDA Toolkit prior to version 13.1. The flaw arises because the application improperly handles search paths, allowing an attacker with limited privileges to influence the loading of executable code or libraries. This can lead to arbitrary code execution with the same privileges as the Nsight Monitor process. The vulnerability requires local access and user interaction, such as tricking a user into launching or interacting with the vulnerable application. The impact of exploitation includes escalation of privileges, enabling attackers to execute malicious code, tamper with data, cause denial of service, or disclose sensitive information. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.3 reflects high severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), but confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all high (C:H/I:H/A:H). No public exploits are known at this time, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk to environments where the CUDA Toolkit is used, especially in development and research contexts. The vulnerability was reserved in April 2025 and published in January 2026, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Since the Nsight Monitor runs with elevated privileges, exploitation could allow attackers to gain control over critical development tools and potentially the host system.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-33229 is substantial, particularly for those in sectors relying heavily on GPU-accelerated computing such as automotive, aerospace, scientific research, artificial intelligence, and financial modeling. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, allowing attackers to escalate privileges and manipulate sensitive data or disrupt critical computational workflows. This could compromise intellectual property, disrupt research and development activities, and cause operational downtime. Given the local attack vector and requirement for user interaction, insider threats or social engineering attacks pose a realistic risk. The high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts mean that successful exploitation could lead to significant data breaches, loss of trust, and regulatory compliance issues under GDPR. Organizations using older CUDA Toolkit versions without mitigation are vulnerable to these risks.

To mitigate CVE-2025-33229, European organizations should immediately upgrade all installations of the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit to version 13.1 or later, where the vulnerability is addressed. Restrict local access to systems running Nsight Visual Studio Edition Monitor to trusted personnel only, and implement strict user privilege management to minimize the risk of privilege escalation. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious activity related to the Nsight Monitor process. Conduct user awareness training to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that could trigger exploitation. Additionally, review and harden the search path environment variables and system configurations to prevent unauthorized code or library loading. Regularly audit systems for outdated CUDA Toolkit versions and monitor for unusual process behavior. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential exploitation.