{"id":"CVE-2021-28663","published":"2021-05-10T15:15:07Z","modified":"2026-06-17T03:46:43Z","title":"Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Use-After-Free Vulnerability","vendor":"Arm","product":"Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)","tier":"core","eol":null,"description":{"text":"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.","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"summary":{"text":"The Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) kernel driver contains a use-after-free flaw in how GPU memory operations are handled, affecting Bifrost, Valhall and Midgard GPU driver versions in the ranges covered by the advisory. An attacker who holds low-privileged access and can reach the GPU driver can exploit this to escalate privileges or disclose information, without needing user interaction.","provenance":"ai","model":"claude-haiku-5-5","generatedAt":"2026-10-29T07:11:14Z"},"cvss":{"score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H","provenance":"source","from":"NVD"},"epss":{"score":0.12084,"percentile":0.96134,"date":"2026-10-29","provenance":"source"},"kev":{"dateAdded":"2021-11-03","dueDate":"2021-11-17","ransomware":false,"requiredAction":"Apply updates per vendor instructions.","notes":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-28663","provenance":"source"},"vulncheckKev":{"dateAdded":"2021-05-03","exploitedFirstSeen":"2021-05-03","ransomware":false,"evidence":[{"url":"https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lkNJ0uQwbeC1ZTRrxdtuPLCIl7mlUreoKfSIgajnSyY/edit","date":"2021-05-03"},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json","date":"2021-11-03"},{"url":"https://storage.googleapis.com/gweb-uniblog-publish-prod/documents/Buying_Spying_-_Insights_into_Commercial_Surveillance_Vendors.pdf","date":"2024-02-06"}],"evidenceTotal":3,"provenance":"source"},"exploited":true,"otx":{"pulseCount":50,"pulses":[{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 29, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae20c1db17e7057ae7d9ad1","created":"2026-10-28"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 28, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ae0ba7e0e2a97ff7b218819","created":"2026-10-27"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 27, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adf68b85c3e852f3c111d18","created":"2026-10-26"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 24, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6adb740e397c3ad4799aa4cd","created":"2026-10-23"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 23, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ada236fcfba2dfa730ea482","created":"2026-10-22"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 22, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad8d33a077cbb5cab524d80","created":"2026-10-21"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 21, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad78130c4d1ac2be83a8b6d","created":"2026-10-20"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 20, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad62f63c24a405a3423cc13","created":"2026-10-19"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 19, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad4dda174e5797d0bd238b7","created":"2026-10-18"},{"name":"Actively_Exploited_Kev | Oct 18, 2026","url":"https://otx.alienvault.com/pulse/6ad38c22e1848f8189d1c121","created":"2026-10-17"}],"provenance":"machine"},"cwes":[{"id":"CWE-416","name":"Use After Free"}],"references":[{"url":"https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates/mali-gpu-kernel-driver","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663","tags":["Exploit"]},{"url":"https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://developer.arm.com/support/arm-security-updates/mali-gpu-kernel-driver","tags":["Vendor Advisory"]},{"url":"https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663","tags":["Exploit"]},{"url":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2021-28663","tags":["US Government Resource"]}],"techniques":[{"id":"T1068","name":"Exploitation for Privilege Escalation","tactics":["privilege-escalation"],"provenance":"ai","basis":"ai-mapping","bases":["ai-mapping"],"basisDetail":"claude-haiku-5-5: local kernel driver flaw exploited for privilege escalation","mappingType":"exploitation_technique","evidence":[{"from":"description","quote":"allows privilege escalation or information disclosure because GPU memory operations are mishandled","start":31,"end":129}],"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","confidence":"medium","confidenceNote":"AI-mapped from the description (quote-validated, not expert-reviewed)"}],"reports":[],"affected":[],"advisories":[],"euvd":{"id":"EUVD-2021-15327","url":"https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/EUVD-2021-15327","exploited":true,"exploitedSince":"2021-11-03","provenance":"source"},"exploits":[],"exploitSources":{"pocGithub":{"count":1,"skipped":0,"earliest":"2021-09-01","earliestUrl":"https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663","repos":[{"name":"lntrx/CVE-2021-28663","url":"https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663","stars":128,"created":"2021-09-01"}]},"first":{"date":"2021-09-01","source":"PoC-in-GitHub","url":"https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663"},"provenance":"source"},"exploitRefs":["https://github.com/lntrx/CVE-2021-28663"],"flow":[{"stage":"exploitation","techniques":["T1068"],"provenance":"ai"}],"timeline":[{"date":"2021-05-03","kind":"exploited-reported","label":"Exploitation first reported (VulnCheck KEV 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