CVE-2025-33230: 
CUDA Toolkit vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-33230 is an OS command injection vulnerability in the NVIDIA Nsight Systems Linux .run installer, a component distributed as part of the NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit. An attacker can supply a malicious string to the installation path during setup, triggering arbitrary OS command execution. The vulnerability affects NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit versions prior to 13.1.0 on Linux. It was published on January 20, 2026, with an initial NVD analysis completed on February 2, 2026. NVIDIA assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (High) (NVIDIA Advisory, Red Hat CVE).

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command (CWE-78), specifically within the .run installer script for NVIDIA Nsight Systems on Linux. During installation, user-supplied input for the installation path is not properly sanitized, allowing shell metacharacters or command separators to be interpreted by the underlying shell. Exploitation requires local access, low privileges, and some degree of user interaction (e.g., a user confirming or initiating the installation process). No public proof-of-concept code has been identified at this time (NVIDIA Advisory, Red Hat CVE).

Successful exploitation could lead to privilege escalation, arbitrary code execution, data tampering, denial of service, and information disclosure on the affected Linux system. Because the installer may run with elevated permissions, injected commands could execute in a privileged context, potentially granting an attacker elevated system access beyond their initial low-privilege foothold. The scope is limited to the local system (unchanged scope), but the confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts are all rated High (NVIDIA Advisory).

1. Identify target: Confirm the target Linux system has NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit (including Nsight Systems) version prior to 13.1.0 installed or is in the process of installing it via the .run installer.
2. Prepare malicious installation path: Craft a string containing shell metacharacters or command injection payloads (e.g., ; malicious_command # or $(malicious_command)) intended to be interpreted by the shell when used as an installation path.
3. Trigger installer execution: Induce a low-privileged user (or wait for a user) to execute the Nsight Systems .run installer, either by social engineering or by placing a malicious installer in a location the user will run it from.
4. Inject malicious path: Supply the crafted malicious string as the installation path when prompted during the installation process.
5. Achieve code execution: The installer script passes the unsanitized path to a shell command, causing the injected payload to execute with the privileges of the installer process, potentially resulting in privilege escalation or persistent access.

• Process: Unexpected child processes spawned from the Nsight Systems .run installer process (e.g., /bin/bash, curl, wget, python, nc) during or immediately after installation.
• Logs: Shell history or audit logs (/var/log/audit/audit.log) showing unusual commands executed in the context of the installer process; execve syscall events with suspicious arguments originating from the installer.
• File System: Unexpected files created in /tmp, /var/tmp, or other writable directories during the installation window; new cron jobs, systemd services, or SUID binaries created around the time of installation.
• Network: Outbound network connections initiated by the installer process to unknown external IP addresses, which may indicate a reverse shell or data exfiltration attempt.

NVIDIA has released a patch in CUDA Toolkit version 13.1.0, which resolves this vulnerability. Users should upgrade to CUDA Toolkit 13.1.0 or later as the primary remediation. As interim mitigations, restrict installation of NVIDIA software to trusted administrators only, avoid running installers from untrusted sources, and ensure users do not accept installation paths from untrusted input. Details and updated packages are available through NVIDIA's support portal (NVIDIA Advisory).

Security news outlets including GBHackers and SecurityOnline covered the vulnerability as part of broader reporting on NVIDIA CUDA Toolkit security flaws in January 2026, highlighting the privilege escalation risk. Red Hat tracked the CVE and published their own advisory entry. Community discussion was limited, consistent with the absence of a public exploit and the local-only attack vector (SecurityOnline, GBHackers).