Update your Nvidia drivers now as the latest update has patched several high-severity security vulnerabilities

If you haven't done so, now is the time to update your Windows version, your games and your game drivers. There are a few vulnerabilities in an older version of Nvidia GPU display drivers that no longer pose a threat, but only when you update.

Igor's Lab first spotted this driver update on October 22. Nvidia's most recent security bulletin states that older versions of its drivers contained eight high-severity vulnerabilities, which all had "escalation privileges" effects, along with a litany other potential problems.

CVE ID 2024-1226, with a base score (which is high), is the most serious issue. It showed that previous drivers had a "vulnerability which could allow an attacker to escalate their permissions." This vulnerability could lead to code execution and denial of service. It could also lead to escalation in privileges, data tampering, or information disclosure.

Six of the risks scored 7.8 and the last was a 7.1, so these fixes are all high priority. All of the vulnerabilities are low-exploitability and require local GPU access. They're potentially bad but okay if nobody can log in to your PC.

If you've updated your gaming drivers after October 22, you're protected. But, if not, there are several ways to do so. You can download the drivers you need without downloading any additional software by going to the Nvidia Drivers page. Simply search for your card and click on the driver. If you don't mind installing another piece of software on your computer, I recommend the Nvidia application.

It was launched in beta at the beginning of the year. It's a great piece of software that offers the latest drivers, graphics settings for all of your games, a place to redeem Nvidia code, and can give you a quick overview of your system. The beta can be downloaded by clicking on the "drivers" tab and letting the software download.

These vulnerabilities are a good reminder that driver maintenance is a vital part of PC ownership. While the latest graphics drivers might help you get a little more performance from your games, this PSA will remind you to update your PC regularly.