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CVE-2021-29256

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free

8.8 HIGHActively exploited (CISA KEV)EPSS 2.99%
  1. Published24 May 2021
  2. Added to CISA KEV7 Jul 2023
  3. Remediation due28 Jul 2023
Actively exploited (CISA KEV)

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver contains a use-after-free vulnerability that may allow a non-privileged user to gain root privilege and/or disclose information.

Added to KEV: 7 Jul 2023Federal remediation due: 28 Jul 2023

Description

. The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows an unprivileged user to achieve access to freed memory, leading to information disclosure or root privilege escalation. This affects Bifrost r16p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, Valhall r19p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, and Midgard r28p0 through r30p0.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredLow
User interactionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r16p0 < r30p0
Arm Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r28p0 < r31p0
Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r19p0 < r30p0

Remediation

Fixed in
Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r30p0
Arm Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r31p0
Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver≥ r30p0

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2021-29256 being actively exploited?

Yes. CVE-2021-29256 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, added 7 Jul 2023.

How severe is CVE-2021-29256?

CVE-2021-29256 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.8, rated high. EPSS estimates a 2.99% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2021-29256?

Affected products include Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver, Arm Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver, Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver.

How do I fix CVE-2021-29256?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver r30p0, Arm Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver r31p0, Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver r30p0 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2021-29256 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. Because it is on the CISA KEV list, a risk for it never ranks below high, and the update that fixes it moves to the Emergency patch lane. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.