CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2022-22706Exploited in the wildNVD status: Analyzed

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Unspecified

CVE-2022-22706 is a high-severity improper restriction of operations within the bounds of a memory buffer vulnerability in Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver from Arm, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists version r36p0 as the first without the flaw, so updating Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver to that release or later removes the exposure. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on March 30, 2023, which means attacks have been observed in the wild.

Patch now

Attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, according to CISA.

What to do

  1. Update Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver to r36p0 or a later version.
  2. Update Midgard GPU Kernel Driver to r32p0 or a later version.
  3. Update Valhall GPU Kernel Driver to r36p0 or a later version.
  4. CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions.
  5. Read the advisory on developer.arm.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
ArmBifrost GPU Kernel Driverr0p0 up to, but not including, r36p0r36p0
ArmMidgard GPU Kernel Driverr26p0 up to, but not including, r32p0r32p0
ArmValhall GPU Kernel Driverr19p0 up to, but not including, r36p0r36p0

Version data comes from NVD's product matching. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Scoring systemScoreSeverityScored by
CVSS 3.17.8HighNVD
CVSS 3.17.8HighCISA (ADP)
CVSS 2.04.6MediumNVD

Official description

Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows a non-privileged user to achieve write access to read-only memory pages. This affects Midgard r26p0 through r31p0, Bifrost r0p0 through r35p0, and Valhall r19p0 through r35p0.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer

The product performs operations on a memory buffer, but it reads from or writes to a memory location outside the buffer's intended boundary.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a language that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. For example, many languages that perform their own memory management, such as Java and Perl, are not subject to buffer overflows. Other languages, such as Ada and C#, typically provide overflow protection, but the protection can be disabled by the programmer. Be wary that a language's interface to native code may still be subject to overflows, even if the language itself is theoretically safe.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid. Examples include the Safe C String Library (SafeStr) by Messier and Viega, and the Strsafe.h library from Microsoft. These libraries provide safer versions of overflow-prone string-handling functions.
  • Use automatic buffer overflow detection mechanisms that are offered by certain compilers or compiler extensions. Examples include: the Microsoft Visual Studio /GS flag, Fedora/Red Hat FORTIFY_SOURCE GCC flag, StackGuard, and ProPolice, which provide various mechanisms including canary-based detection and range/index checking. D3-SFCV (Stack Frame Canary Validation) from D3FEND discusses canary-based detection in detail.

More Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerabilities (CWE-119)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Added to CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue.
  3. Deadline for US federal agencies to remediate, set by CISA.
  4. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: active, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  5. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Third-party and government advisories

Other vulnerabilities in Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver

All Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer vulnerabilities

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