External risk intelligence

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Information Disclosure and Privilege Escalation.

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2021-29256

A vulnerability in Arm Mali GPU kernel drivers may allow unauthorized access to freed memory, potentially leading to information disclosure or privilege escalation. This affects specific versions of Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU kernel drivers, posing a business risk through unauthorized access to data and system c

1Halo Surface Signal

Use After Free

Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver

r16p0 to before r30p0r28p0 to before r31p0r19p0 to before r30p0

External exposure likelihood

Halo Surface Signal score for CVE-2021-29256

This vulnerability resides within a GPU kernel driver, which is a local hardware-level component. Exploitation requires local access to the device's operating system to interact with the driver. It is not an internet-facing service, application, or network-accessible portal, and it lacks any inherent public network exposure in common deployment patterns.

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver has a vulnerability that allows unauthorized users to access freed memory. This flaw can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information or grant elevated system privileges. The issue impacts various versions of the Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU kernel drivers.

  • Vulnerable Arm Mali GPU kernel drivers
  • Access to freed memory
  • Information disclosure or privilege escalation

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability arises from a flaw in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver. An unprivileged user could exploit this flaw to gain access to memory that has already been freed. This access could potentially lead to the disclosure of sensitive information or the escalation of privileges to the root level. The attack path involves an attacker gaining initial access and then triggering the vulnerability to gain greater control over the affected system.

  • Unprivileged user access to system.
  • Attacker triggers memory access flaw.
  • Control or information disclosure results.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

This vulnerability affects Arm's Mali GPU kernel drivers. Exploitation could allow an unprivileged user to access freed memory, potentially leading to information disclosure or escalation to root privileges. The impact on an organization could include unauthorized access to sensitive data and a complete compromise of affected systems. Given the potential for privilege escalation and data exposure, this presents a significant business risk.

  • Likely attacker skill: Moderate
  • Required access: Local system access
  • Business risk: High

Priority actions

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

This vulnerability within the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver could permit an unprivileged user to access freed memory, potentially leading to information disclosure or root privilege escalation. This risk affects specific versions of the Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU kernel drivers. Organizations should take immediate action to understand their exposure and mitigate potential impact.

  • Identify affected Arm Mali GPU kernel drivers.
  • Reduce exposure or isolate systems.
  • Apply vendor fixes and validate.
  • Monitor for related issues.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver?

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver is software enabling your operating system to interact with the Arm Mali graphics processing unit (GPU). GPUs accelerate image, video, and animation creation, vital for gaming, video playback, and graphical interfaces.

What weakness does CVE-2021-29256 describe for the Arm Mali GPU driver?

CVE-2021-29256 details a use-after-free vulnerability. This means the driver permits access to memory after it has been deallocated, potentially leading to information disclosure or privilege escalation.

How can CVE-2021-29256 be triggered?

An unprivileged user can trigger this vulnerability to gain access to freed memory. This occurs within specific versions of the Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU kernel drivers, potentially leading to root privilege escalation or information disclosure.

What is the relevance of CVE-2021-29256 in the broader threat landscape?

CVE-2021-29256 is listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog. Exploitation requires local system access and poses a high business risk due to potential data exposure and system compromise.

What practical steps should be taken in response to CVE-2021-29256?

Organizations should identify affected Arm Mali GPU kernel drivers, reduce exposure or isolate systems, and apply vendor-provided fixes. Monitoring for related issues is also recommended.

References