CVE-2022-38181: Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability

CVE-2022-38181 · Severity: critical · CVSS 8.8 · Exploited in the wild · Published 2023-03-30

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver contains a use-after-free vulnerability due to the mishandling of GPU memory operations. This flaw allows unprivileged users to access freed memory, potentially leading to root privilege escalation or information disclosure.

Technologies: Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Vendors: Arm.

Quick answers

Is CVE-2022-38181 exploited in the wild?
Yes. CVE-2022-38181 is known to be exploited in the wild, first recorded on 30 March 2023. Treat it as urgent.
How severe is CVE-2022-38181?
Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 8.8, published 30 March 2023.
Which products and versions are affected?
Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Bifrost) r0p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Valhall) r19p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Midgard) r4p0 through r32p0.
Is there a fix for CVE-2022-38181?
No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.
How is CVE-2022-38181 attacked?
It is attacked over the network, in a software library.
Am I affected by CVE-2022-38181?
Check whether you run Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

Affected products

  • Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Bifrost) r0p0 through r38p1, and r39p0
  • Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Valhall) r19p0 through r38p1, and r39p0
  • Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver (Midgard) r4p0 through r32p0

Timeline

  • 2023-01-23: disclosed: Public disclosure of exploit details by GitHub Security Lab and Google Project Zero.
  • 2023-03-30: kev added: Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog.
  • 2023-03-30: advisory: NVD publication date.

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