CVE-2023-5249 in Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver
Summary
by MITRE • 02/05/2024
Use After Free vulnerability in Arm Ltd Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver, Arm Ltd Valhall GPU Kernel Driver allows a local non-privileged user to make improper memory processing operations to exploit a software race condition. If the system’s memory is carefully prepared by the user, then this in turn cause a use-after-free.This issue affects Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver: from r35p0 through r40p0; Valhall GPU Kernel Driver: from r35p0 through r40p0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/29/2024
The CVE-2023-5249 vulnerability represents a critical use-after-free condition within Arm Ltd's GPU kernel drivers, specifically affecting both Bifrost and Valhall GPU architectures. This vulnerability exists in the kernel-level graphics processing units that manage hardware acceleration for mobile and embedded devices. The flaw manifests as a software race condition that allows local users to manipulate memory operations in ways that bypass normal safety mechanisms. The affected driver versions span from r35p0 through r40p0, indicating a substantial timeframe of exposure across multiple generations of Arm's graphics processing technology.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on a sophisticated memory management flaw that occurs during the interaction between user-space applications and kernel-space GPU drivers. When a local non-privileged user carefully prepares system memory through specific sequences of operations, the kernel driver's memory management routines fail to properly track object lifecycles, leading to situations where freed memory regions are accessed after their intended use has concluded. This race condition typically occurs during GPU command processing where multiple threads or processes interact with shared memory structures without proper synchronization mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from inadequate memory reference counting and improper deallocation procedures within the kernel driver code, creating opportunities for memory corruption that can be exploited to execute arbitrary code.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability presents significant security risks to devices running affected Arm GPU drivers, particularly mobile devices, embedded systems, and automotive platforms that rely on these graphics processing units. The local privilege escalation potential means that malicious applications or compromised user accounts could leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges within the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The attack vector requires local access but does not need administrative privileges, making it particularly dangerous in environments where user accounts may be compromised. The memory corruption resulting from this use-after-free condition could lead to system crashes, data corruption, or more severe exploitation outcomes depending on the specific memory layout and system configuration.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-5249 should focus on immediate driver updates from Arm Ltd, which typically include memory management fixes, improved synchronization mechanisms, and enhanced input validation procedures. System administrators should prioritize patching affected devices, particularly those in high-security environments or critical infrastructure. Additional protective measures include implementing kernel memory protection features such as stack canaries, memory layout randomization, and enhanced privilege separation between user and kernel space operations. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-416, which specifically addresses use-after-free conditions, and could potentially map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and kernel exploitation. Organizations should also consider implementing runtime monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous memory access patterns and provide early warning of potential exploitation attempts. The fix typically involves proper memory lifecycle management, including robust reference counting, atomic operations during memory deallocation, and comprehensive validation of memory access patterns within kernel driver code to prevent the race condition that enables this exploitation path.