Security Digest · Vulnerability record · Known exploited
CVE-2023-4211: Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Exploited in the wild (CISA KEV). A local non-privileged user can make improper GPU memory processing operations to gain access to already freed memory.
CISA KEV · added 2023-10-03 CVSS 5.5 Medium EPSS 1.1% · p65
Should you act?
Exploited: patch now if you run it
CISA has confirmed exploitation in the wild. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.
- Yes, if you run Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver. CISA added this CVE to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-10-03, which means there is reliable evidence of exploitation in the wild. US federal agencies must remediate by 2023-10-24; treat that as the outer limit, not the target.
- EPSS 1.1%, percentile 65: FIRST’s model estimates a 1.1% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 65% of all scored CVEs (moderate). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
- Needs local access needed. Lower urgency for most teams unless an attacker could already run code on the machine.
What it is
A local non-privileged user can make improper GPU memory processing operations to gain access to already freed memory.
CISA’s summary
Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver contains a use-after-free vulnerability that allows a local, non-privileged user to make improper GPU memory processing operations to gain access to already freed memory.
Weakness type: CWE-416.
Product: Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver · Assigned by: Arm · Published: 2023-10-01
Affected and fixed versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions (per CVE record) |
|---|---|---|
| Arm Ltd | Midgard GPU Kernel Driver | r12p0 <= r32p0 |
| Arm Ltd | Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver | r0p0 <= r42p0 |
| Arm Ltd | Valhall GPU Kernel Driver | r19p0 <= r42p0 |
| Arm Ltd | Arm 5th Gen GPU Architecture Kernel Driver | r41p0 <= r42p0 |
Severity scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA-ADP | 3.1 | 5.5 Medium | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
- Attack vector: local access needed
- Attack complexity: low
- Privileges required: low (any account)
- User interaction: none
- Scope: unchanged
CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.
Exploitation and urgency
- CISA KEV: added 2023-10-03; federal due date 2023-10-24. Known ransomware use: Unknown.
- CISA required action: Apply mitigations per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.
- CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation active, automatable no, technical impact total.
- FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 1.10% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 65.
Timeline
- — CVE record published by Arm
- — Added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
- — CISA remediation deadline for US federal agencies
- — CVE record last updated
Sources and references
Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.
Vendor and project advisories, patches
- Listed in CISA KEV notes (developer.arm.com) developer.arm.com
Vulnerability records
- CVE.org record CVE-2023-4211 cve.org
- NVD entry CVE-2023-4211 nvd.nist.gov