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Avalon Gpu Kernel DriverApplication · Arm

CVE-2023-28147

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
An issue was discovered in the Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver. A non-privileged user can make improper GPU processing operations to gain access to already freed memory. This affects Midgard r29p0 through r32p0, Bifrost r17p0 through r42p0 before r43p0, Valhall r19p0 through r42p0 before r43p0, and Arm's GPU Architecture Gen5 r41p0 through r42p0 before r43p0.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver where non-privileged users can make improper GPU processing operations to gain access to already freed memory. This affects multiple GPU architecture generations (Midgard, Bifrost, Valhall, and Gen5) across specific version ranges.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied driver patches (r43p0 or later for Bifrost/Valhall/Gen5) and update to the latest Mali GPU driver version. Organizations should coordinate with device manufacturers or OS vendors to obtain and deploy kernel driver updates.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Avalon Gpu Kernel DriverApplication
Affected:>= r41p0, < r43p0
Bifrost Gpu Kernel DriverApplication
Affected:>= r17p0, < r43p0
Midgard Gpu Kernel DriverApplication
Affected:>= r29p0, <= r32p0
Valhall Gpu Kernel DriverApplication
Affected:>= r19p0, < r43p0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the Mali GPU driver type in use
    On Linux, run 'lsmod | grep -i mali' or check /sys/module/ for loaded Mali modules. On Android, check /proc/versions or use 'getprop' to identify the GPU driver name.
    Affected if The system uses an Arm Mali GPU kernel driver (Avalon, Bifrost, Midgard, or Valhall)
  2. Determine the installed driver version
    On Linux, check the driver module version via 'modinfo <mali_driver_module>' or examine /sys/module/<mali_driver_module>/version. On Android, use 'cat /proc/version' or vendor-specific system properties.
    Affected if Unable to determine the version number for comparison
  3. Compare your version to the affected ranges
    Match your identified driver type and version against the following: Avalon: >= r41p0 and < r43p0; Bifrost: >= r17p0 and < r43p0; Midgard: >= r29p0 and <= r32p0; Valhall: >= r19p0 and < r43p0
    Affected if Your driver version falls within the affected range for your specific driver type
  4. Verify the Mali GPU driver is actively loaded
    Confirm the Mali GPU kernel module is currently loaded in memory via 'lsmod' or by checking /proc/modules
    Affected if The vulnerable driver is currently running but cannot be detected

You are affected if your system runs an Arm Mali GPU driver (Avalon, Bifrost, Midgard, or Valhall) with a version number that falls within the specified affected ranges for your driver type.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied driver patches (r43p0 or later for Bifrost/Valhall/Gen5) and update to the latest Mali GPU driver version. Organizations should coordinate with device manufacturers or OS vendors to obtain and deploy kernel driver updates.

Recommended fix High confidence

r43p0 or later for all affected Mali GPU kernel drivers (Midgard, Bifrost, Valhall, Avalon)

  1. Identify the specific Arm Mali GPU model in use (Midgard, Bifrost, Valhall, or Avalon)
  2. Check current GPU kernel driver version via system logs or /proc driver information
  3. Obtain the r43p0 or later driver package from Arm's official developer resources (developer.arm.com)
  4. Backup current driver and kernel modules
  5. Install the r43p0 driver package following Arm's documentation for your specific GPU model
  6. Reboot the system to load the new kernel driver
  7. Verify the new driver version is loaded correctly
Caveat Review release notes for r43p0 for any API changes or kernel version requirements; some legacy features may have been deprecated

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Avalon Gpu Kernel Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA6.0 h
30.0 hours of engineering $5,120
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-28147 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data