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

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2022-38181 is a high (CVSS 8.8) Use After Free vulnerability in Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). It is known to be exploited: CISA lists it, first on 30-03-2023. EPSS estimates a 14.09% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 96.5% of scored vulnerabilities. 2 public exploits are recorded.

Timeline

1. 25-10-2022
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 30-03-2023
   Added to CISA KEVArm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability
3. 20-04-2023
   CISA remediation dueApply updates per vendor instructions.
4. 21-10-2025
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows unprivileged users to access freed memory because GPU memory operations are mishandled. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; Valhall r19p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; and Midgard r4p0 through r32p0.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.