GIGABYTE GDrv.sys Kernel Driver Arbitrary Memory Write Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) Vulnerability (CVE-2018-19320)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTGIGABYTE APP Center v1.05.21 and earlier, AORUS GRAPHICS ENGINE before 1.57, XTREME GAMING ENGINE before 1.26, and OC GURU II v2.08 containing the GDrv.sys driver
A local attacker with low privileges can perform arbitrary kernel-mode (Ring 0) memory read/write operations, leading to complete system takeover and security agent bypass
Update the affected GIGABYTE utilities to their latest secure versions and enforce Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or driver blocklists to prevent the vulnerable driver from loading
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Uninstall the vulnerable GIGABYTE utilities and install the latest patched versions from the official vendor support page. Use the following PowerShell commands to identify and remove the vulnerable driver service:
# Identify installed GIGABYTE software
Get-WmiObject -Class Win32_Product | Where-Object { $_.Name -like '*GIGABYTE*' } | Select-Object Name, Version
# Stop and delete the vulnerable driver service
Stop-Service -Name 'gdrv' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
sc.exe delete gdrv2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
To mitigate BYOVD attacks, enable the Microsoft Vulnerable Driver Blocklist or configure Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) to block the specific hash or certificate of the vulnerable gdrv.sys driver.
# Enable Windows Defender Vulnerable Driver Blocklist
Set-MpPreference -DisableCpuVirtualization $false
reg add 'HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\CI\Config' /v 'VulnerableDriverBlocklistEnable' /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Search the filesystem for instances of gdrv.sys and verify if the driver is currently loaded into the kernel memory space.
# Search for gdrv.sys on the system drive and calculate SHA256 hash
Get-ChildItem -Path 'C:\' -Filter 'gdrv.sys' -Recurse -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Select-Object FullName, Length, @{N='SHA256';E={(Get-FileHash $_.FullName -Algorithm SHA256).Hash}}
# Check if the gdrv driver is currently loaded in memory
driverquery /v | Select-String -Pattern 'gdrv'Block Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability exists in gdrv.sys, a low-level kernel driver bundled with various GIGABYTE hardware management utilities. The driver exposes specific Input/Output Control (IOCTL) codes to allow user-mode applications to communicate with kernel-mode components. Due to a lack of proper validation of input parameters, the driver exposes a Ring 0 'memcpy-like' functionality. This design flaw allows any local process, even with low privileges, to read and write directly to arbitrary kernel memory addresses.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker who has established local access on a target system can leverage an already installed or manually dropped vulnerable version of the gdrv.sys driver. By opening a handle to the driver device, the attacker sends a crafted DeviceIoControl request using specific IOCTL codes (such as 0xC3502114). This triggers an unvalidated memcpy operation within the kernel context. Attackers typically exploit this to locate the token of their current process and overwrite it with the SYSTEM token (Token Stealing), achieving Local Privilege Escalation (LPE). This technique is widely classified as a Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD) attack.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
As this vulnerability is actively exploited in the wild and listed in the CISA KEV catalog, it poses a severe threat to enterprise infrastructure. Attackers and ransomware operators frequently use this vulnerability to disable Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents and antivirus solutions by tampering with kernel-mode callbacks. Once kernel-level execution is achieved, attackers can bypass all operating system security controls, harvest credentials, establish persistent access, and deploy ransomware, leading to catastrophic business disruption.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
The GDrv low-level driver in GIGABYTE APP Center v1.05.21 and earlier, AORUS GRAPHICS ENGINE before 1.57, XTREME GAMING ENGINE before 1.26, and OC GURU II v2.08 exposes ring0 memcpy-like functionality that could allow a local attacker to take complete control of the affected system.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2018-19320)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2018-19320 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2018-19320 is rated CVSS 7.8 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 4.6%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2018-19320?
Primary impacted vendors include gigabyte across app center, aorus graphics engine, xtreme gaming engine, oc guru ii, gdrv.sys. Scope summary: GIGABYTE APP Center v1.05.21 and earlier, AORUS GRAPHICS ENGINE before 1.57, XTREME GAMING ENGINE before 1.26, and OC GURU II v2.08
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2018-19320 before patching?
[Mitigation] Update the affected GIGABYTE utilities to their latest secure versions and enforce Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or driver blocklists to prevent the vulnerable driver from loading Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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