The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver presents a high-severity vulnerability that allows privilege escalation or a denial of service due to memory corruption. Unprivileged users can achieve read/write access to read-only pages, impacting several versions of the Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU drivers. This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access and disruption of services, making it critical for organizations to address it promptly.
With a CVSS score of 8.8, this vulnerability falls into the high severity category, emphasizing the need for immediate action. The risk to organizations includes potential data breaches and service outages, as attackers may leverage this flaw to manipulate memory and escalate privileges. Organizations should prioritize patching immediately to mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability.
Currently, this vulnerability is part of the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, indicating that it is actively being targeted. Organizations must take this into account and apply necessary updates as per vendor instructions to ensure their systems remain secure and resilient against potential attacks.
The urgency for defenders cannot be overstated; with active exploitation known, organizations should address this vulnerability in their priority patch cycle.
Vulnerability Details
The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows privilege escalation or a denial of service (memory corruption) because an unprivileged user can achieve read/write access to read-only pages. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, Valhall r19p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, and Midgard r8p0 through r30p0 before r31p0.
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-787, indicating a violation of proper access controls leading to memory corruption. The severity is corroborated by a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, which reflects the potential for confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, all rated as high.
The vulnerability was published on May 10, 2021, and has been analyzed for its potential impact on various Arm GPU components. Organizations using affected systems should be aware of this vulnerability and take appropriate steps to remediate.
Technical Analysis
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the improper handling of memory permissions within the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver. An unprivileged user can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized read/write access to memory segments that should be protected.
The attack vector is classified as network-based, with the complexity labeled as low. The privileges required for exploitation are also low, meaning that an attacker does not need elevated permissions to initiate an attack. User interaction is not required, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous.
In terms of impact, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, all rated high. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, tampering with critical system processes, and potential denial of service.
Risk & Impact Analysis
Real-world deployment of affected Arm Mali GPU drivers can expose organizations to severe risks, particularly in environments where sensitive data is processed or critical applications are hosted. The vulnerability could potentially allow attackers to manipulate system memory, escalate privileges, and disrupt services.
This vulnerability's blast radius is substantial, as it affects multiple versions across different Arm GPU architectures. Organizations utilizing any of the affected driver versions are at risk, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive patch management strategy.
Given the CVSS score and the fact that this vulnerability is included in the KEV catalog, organizations should prioritize remediation efforts. The urgency is critical; organizations should prioritize patching immediately.
Exploitation Status
Signal | Status |
|---|---|
Known Exploit | Yes |
Public PoC | Yes |
Actively Exploited | Yes |
Ransomware Use | No |
Affected Versions
The affected versions of the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver include:
• Bifrost: r0p0 through r29p0 before r30p0 • Valhall: r19p0 through r29p0 before r30p0 • Midgard: r8p0 through r30p0 before r31p0
Mitigation & Remediation
Organizations should apply updates as per vendor instructions to remediate this vulnerability. Ensure that you upgrade to the latest versions of the affected GPU drivers. If a patch is not available, consider implementing configuration hardening to limit access to critical resources.
Additionally, organizations can benefit from conducting regular security assessments to identify vulnerabilities in their systems. Continuous penetration testing can help in discovering and addressing similar weaknesses proactively. For more information on how to enhance your security posture, organizations can refer to our penetration testing services.
Detection Guidance
Monitoring for any unusual behavior in system memory access patterns can be critical in detecting exploitation attempts. Look for log indicators of unauthorized access attempts or unusual memory corruption errors. Additionally, ensure that behavioral anomalies are tracked and investigated.
AppSecure Threat Intelligence Insight
The long-term significance of CVE-2021-28664 highlights the critical need for robust security measures in GPU drivers, which are often overlooked in many security assessments. This vulnerability also reflects the broader trend of vulnerabilities arising from improper access controls and memory management.
Security teams should take note of the patterns that emerge from such vulnerabilities and ensure that they are integrated into their security frameworks. Regular training and awareness programs on security best practices can help mitigate risks associated with similar vulnerabilities in the future.
For further insights into security best practices, organizations can explore our resources on vulnerability management programs and penetration testing methodology to enhance their security posture.
Finally, organizations should maintain awareness of the evolving threat landscape and adapt their security strategies accordingly to protect against similar vulnerabilities.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
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