Nvidia GeForce Experience Node.js security vulnerability
Sec Consult security researchers discovered a vulnerability in Nvidia's GeForce Experience software that allows attackers to bypass Windows application whitelisting.
Nvidia's GeForce Experience is a program that Nvidia installs by default in its driver packages. The program, initially designed to provide users with good configurations for computer games so that they run better on user systems, has been blown up since then by Nvidia.
The software checks for driver updates now, and may install those, and it enforces registration before its other functionality becomes available.
What's interesting about it is that it is not needed for making use of the graphics card, and that the video card works equally fine without it.
Nvidia GeForce Experience installs a node.js server on the system when it is installed. The file is not called node.js, but NVIDIA Web Helper.exe, and it is located under %ProgramFiles(x86)%\NVIDIA Corporation\NvNode\ by default.
Nvidia renamed Node.js to NVIDIA Web Helper.exe and signed it. What this means is that Node.js is installed on the majority of systems with Nvidia graphics cards, considering that drivers are installed automatically and not using the custom install option.
Tip: Only install the Nvidia driver components that you need, and disable Nvidia Streamer Services and other Nvidia processes,
Whitelisting allows administrators to define programs and processes that may run on an operating system. Microsoft AppLocker is a popular whitelisting solution to improve security on Windows PCs.
Administrators may improve security further by using signatures to enforce code and script integrity. The latter is supported by Windows 10 and windows Server 2016 with Microsoft Device Guard for instance.
The security researchers found two possibilities to exploit Nvidia's NVIDIA Web Helper.exe application:
- Use Node.js directly to interact with Windows APIs.
- Load executable code "into the node.js process" to run malicious code.
Since the process is signed, it will bypass any reputation-based checks by default.
From attacker perspective, this opens two possibilities. Either use node.js to directly interact with the Windows API (e.g. to disable application whitelisting or reflectively load an executable into the node.js process to run the malicious binary on behalf of the signed process) or to write the complete malware with node.js. Both options have the advantage, that the running process is signed and therefore bypasses anti-virus systems (reputation-based algorithms) per default.
How to resolve the issue
Probably the best option right now is to uninstall the Nvidia GeForce Experience client from the operating system.
First thing you may want to do is make sure that a system is vulnerable. Open the folder %ProgramFiles(x86)%\NVIDIA Corporation\ on the Windows PC and check if the directory NvNode exists.
If it does, open the directory. Find the file Nvidia Web Helper.exe in the directory.
Right-click on the file afterwards, and select properties. When the properties window opens, switch to details. There you should see the original file name and product name.
Once you have established that a Node.js server is indeed on the machine, it is time to remove it provided that Nvidia GeForce Experience is not required.
- You may use the Control Panel > Uninstall a Program applet for that, or if you use Windows 10 Settings > Apps > Apps & features.
- Either way, Nvidia GeForce Experience is listed as a separate program installed on the system.
- Uninstall the Nvidia GeForce Experience program from your system.
If you check the program folder afterwards again, you will notice that the entire NvNode folder is no longer on the system.
Now Read: Block Nvidia Telemetry Tracking on Windows PCs
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help