Exploit may unlock crypto-mining GPU into a full A100
Nvidia's CMP 170HX is essentially an A100 GPU with its compute power and 80GB memory deliberately crippled so it could only be used for . It launched during the crypto boom and became cheap after the crash that followed. A research paper published last month describes an exploit against a stack-protection flaw in Nvidia's Falcon security that can reportedly restore the card to full A100 capability.
A verified the compute unlock, but that is currently down. The memory unlock has not yet been replicated by anyone. A genuine A100 sells for over $5,000, while the 170HX traded for under $200 before this news spread.
If the exploit holds up, it could mean getting an A100-equivalent 80GB GPU for under $1,000.
Key points
- CMP 170HX is an A100 with compute and memory artificially locked down for crypto mining only
- A paper describes exploiting a flaw in Nvidia's Falcon security to remove the lock
- The compute unlock was verified by a repo, which is now offline
- The 80GB memory unlock remains unreplicated
- If confirmed, it could turn a sub-$1,000 GPU into a $5,000+ A100 equivalent