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Actively exploited

CVE-2022-38181 Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver contains a use-after-free vulnerability that may allow a non-privileged user to gain root privilege and/or disclose information.

From the CISA KEV catalogue version 2026.11.06, with Cybergen analysis. Updated 6 Nov 2026.

Our Assessment

Should You Worry?

Patch urgentlyCybergen assessment
  • CISA confirmed exploitation in the wild and added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 30 Mar 2023.
  • Rated High severity (CVSS 8.8, scored by CISA).
  • It has been in the catalogue for 1,317 days. Systems still unpatched now have almost certainly been scanned for it.
The Vulnerability

What It Is

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.

From Watch to Action

What To Do Now

  1. 1

    Find it

    Search your asset inventory and external attack surface for Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Include cloud images, appliances and anything a supplier runs for you.

    Attack Surface Management
  2. 2

    Fix it

    Apply updates per vendor instructions.

    Vulnerability Management
  3. 3

    Hunt for compromise

    If an affected system was reachable before you patched, assume it may have been hit. Check logs, new accounts, web shells and outbound connections from the date of exposure.

    Incident Response
  4. 4

    Prove it is fixed

    Rescan or test the system after patching. Upgrades that fail silently and forgotten secondary instances are common.

    Penetration Testing

Vendor Advisories

Regulation

The Compliance Clock

Cyber EssentialsRated high, so if it affects devices in your Cyber Essentials scope, the update must be installed within 14 days of the vendor releasing it.NIS2If exploitation causes a significant incident, essential and important entities owe their CSIRT an early warning within 24 hours and a notification within 72 hours.DORAFinancial entities must classify ICT incidents and send an initial notification for a major incident within strict deadlines, with exploited flaws a common cause.US federal (BOD 22-01)Federal civilian agencies had until 20 Apr 2023 to remediate. A sensible benchmark for everyone else.

General guidance, not legal advice. Your obligations depend on your sector, scope and jurisdiction.

Stay Ahead

More Exploited Arm Flaws

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CVE-2024-4610Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free VulnerabilityAdded 12 Jun 2024CVE-2023-4211Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free VulnerabilityAdded 3 Oct 2023CVE-2021-29256Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free VulnerabilityAdded 7 Jul 2023CVE-2023-26083Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Information Disclosure VulnerabilityAdded 7 Apr 2023CVE-2022-22706Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Unspecified VulnerabilityAdded 30 Mar 2023CVE-2021-27562Arm Trusted Firmware Out-of-Bounds Write VulnerabilityAdded 3 Nov 2021

All 9 exploited Arm vulnerabilities

Not Sure If You Are Exposed?

Our attack surface and vulnerability teams can check your internet-facing estate for CVE-2022-38181 and every other exploited flaw on the list.

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Evidence

Sources

  1. CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue
  2. NVD: CVE-2022-38181
  3. CVE record: CVE-2022-38181
  4. FIRST EPSS
  5. developer.arm.com/Arm%20Security%20Center/Mali%20GPU%20Driver%20Vulnerabilities
  6. developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates
  7. github.blog/2023-01-23-pwning-the-all-google-phone-with-a-non-google-bug/
  8. securitylab.github.com/advisories/GHSL-2022-054_Arm_Mali/
  9. packetstormsecurity.com/files/172854/Android-Arm-Mali-GPU-Arbitrary-Code-Execution.html