Privilege escalation in Mali GPU kernel driver

1) Use-after-free

EUVDB-ID: #VU77971

Risk: High

CVSSv3.1: 8.4 [CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:H/RL:O/RC:C]

CVE-ID: CVE-2021-29256

CWE-ID: CWE-416 - Use After Free

Exploit availability: No

Description

The vulnerability allows a local application to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to improper operations on GPU memory. A local application can trigger a use-after-free error and execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges.

Mitigation

Install update from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

Midgard GPU Kernel Driver: before r31p0

Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver: before r30p0

Valhall GPU Kernel Driver: before r30p0

CPE2.3

External links

http://developer.arm.com/Arm%20Security%20Center/Mali%20GPU%20Driver%20Vulnerabilities#CVE-2021-29256
http://source.android.com/docs/security/bulletin/2023-07-01

Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

Yes. This vulnerability is being exploited in the wild.