CVE-2026-45198 in Graphics DDK
Summary
by MITRE • 08/07/2026
Kernel software from a non-secure operating system on a platform with Trusted Execution Environment support, may cause GPU Firmware to boot up using data from non-secure memory.
The GPU thread of control (Firmware) uses a pointer from non-secure memory belonging to the Rich Execution Environment (REE) when saving or retrieving internal data between the tightly coupled private memory to main memory. An attacker with control over the REE kernel may modify the pointer value, corrupting the data used by the GPU Firmware.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/07/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the interaction between secure and non-secure execution environments within platforms supporting Trusted Execution Environments. The issue stems from improper memory management practices where the GPU firmware relies on pointers originating from non-secure memory regions controlled by the Rich Execution Environment. This architectural weakness creates a direct pathway for privilege escalation and data corruption attacks that can compromise the integrity of the entire system security model.
The technical implementation flaw occurs when GPU firmware threads attempt to manage data movement between tightly coupled private memory and main memory storage. The firmware uses pointer values sourced from the REE kernel space rather than validating or sanitizing these references before execution. This design pattern violates fundamental security principles governing memory access controls and creates a potential attack surface where malicious code in the non-secure domain can manipulate critical system operations through carefully crafted pointer modifications.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers with REE kernel-level privileges to corrupt GPU firmware operations and potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources. The attack vector specifically targets the memory management subsystem where secure and non-secure components interact, making it particularly dangerous in environments where GPU processing is critical for security functions such as encryption operations, secure boot processes, or hardware-based authentication mechanisms. This vulnerability directly relates to CWE-787: Out-of-bounds Write and CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read, which are core indicators of memory corruption vulnerabilities.
The attack scenario involves an adversary who has already achieved kernel-level access within the REE environment to modify pointer values in memory before they are consumed by GPU firmware operations. This approach aligns with ATT&CK technique T1068: Exploitation for Privilege Escalation and T1547.001: Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder, where attackers leverage existing access to manipulate system components through memory-based attacks. The vulnerability essentially allows for a form of code injection within the GPU firmware execution context, potentially enabling full system compromise.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing proper pointer validation mechanisms within the GPU firmware code to ensure all external references are sanitized before use. Memory isolation techniques and hardware-enforced memory protection boundaries must be strengthened to prevent cross-domain pointer manipulation. Additionally, implementing secure boot processes that verify firmware integrity and establishing robust input validation for all memory access operations can significantly reduce the attack surface. The solution approach should align with defense-in-depth principles and incorporate hardware security features available in modern TEE implementations while ensuring compatibility with existing system architectures.