CVE-2021-28663
Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Does this matter?
Known to be exploited in the wild (CISA KEV, CISA remediation deadline 17 November 2021). Treat as an emergency change: patch or isolate now, then hunt for prior compromise.
Description
The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows privilege escalation or information disclosure because GPU memory operations are mishandled, leading to a use-after-free. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r28p0 before r29p0, Valhall r19p0 through r28p0 before r29p0, and Midgard r4p0 through r30p0.
- CVSS 3.1
- 8.8 HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 12.08% probability · 96th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Listed 3 November 2021 · due 17 November 2021
- Weakness
- CWE-416
- Affected
- arm/bifrost gpu kernel driver · arm/midgard gpu kernel driver · arm/valhall gpu kernel driver
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS 12.1% since 26 October 2026; no change recorded yet. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”. Points are recorded when the score first appears and whenever it moves by a percentage point or more.
CISA notes
Apply updates per vendor instructions. https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28663
References
- https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updatesVendor Advisory
- https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates/mali-gpu-kernel-driverVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663Exploit
- https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updatesVendor Advisory
- https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates/mali-gpu-kernel-driverVendor Advisory
- https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663Exploit
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-28663US Government Resource
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.