CVE-2021-28664
Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Unspecified Vulnerability
Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows privilege escalation or a denial of service (memory corruption) because an unprivileged user can achieve read/write access to read-only pages. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, Valhall r19p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, and Midgard r8p0 through r30p0 before r31p0.
Exploitation status
CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities
Listed by CISA on 3 November 2021. US federal agencies were required to remediate it by 17 November 2021.
EPSS — exploitation probability
FIRST puts the probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days at 5.4%, which is higher than 92.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. EPSS is a forecast of activity, not a measure of severity, and it is rescored daily.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2021-28664 being exploited by ransomware groups?
No ransomware group in this database is currently recorded as exploiting CVE-2021-28664.
What does CVE-2021-28664 affect?
CVE-2021-28664 affects Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows privilege escalation or a denial of service (memory corruption) because an unprivileged user can achieve read/write access to read-only pages. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, Valhall r19p0 through r29p0 before r30p0, and Midgard r8p0 through r30p0 before r31p0.
How severe is CVE-2021-28664?
CVE-2021-28664 is rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 8.8. EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 5.4%, higher than 92.6% of all scored vulnerabilities. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, with a federal remediation deadline of 17 November 2021.
How should organisations respond to CVE-2021-28664?
Apply the vendor patch for Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) as the first priority, and treat any internet-facing instance as the most urgent. Because this vulnerability is associated with ransomware activity, also review whether the affected systems were reachable before patching, rather than assuming that patching alone closes the incident.