HIGH CVSS 8.8
Published: 2022-10-25

CVE-2022-38181

arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver Security Advisory (CVE-2022-38181)
↗ Official NIST NVD Record
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CyberVault Technical Summary

Analyst Synthesis

Technical analysis, exploit verification, and patch instructions for CVE-2022-38181 impacting arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver. Evaluated with CVSS Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH).

Original NVD Description

Source: NIST NVD
The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows unprivileged users to access freed memory because GPU memory operations are mishandled. This affects Bifrost r0p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; Valhall r19p0 through r38p1, and r39p0; and Midgard r4p0 through r32p0.

📊 CVSS v3.1 Metric Breakdown

Attack Vector
Network (AV:N)
Exploitable remotely across internet boundaries
Attack Complexity
Low (AC:L)
No specialized conditions required
Privileges Required
Low (PR:L)
Standard user access required
User Interaction
None (UI:N)
Zero human interaction required
Scope
Unchanged (S:U)
Confined to same security context
Confidentiality
High (C:H)
Total information disclosure
Integrity
High (I:H)
Total modification of target system
Availability
High (A:H)
Total denial of service or shutdown

🎯 Affected Versions Matrix

Affected Product arm / bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver
Affected Versions *
Weakness Enumeration CWE-416

Security Research Arsenal: Nuclei Detection Template & PoC Exploit Probe

High-Intent Research Tool

Ready-to-use security scanner signatures, active verification probe skeletons, and remediation playbooks for CVE-2022-38181 impacting arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver.

⚡ Nuclei Detection Template (YAML) cve-2022-38181.yaml
id: cve-2022-38181

info:
  name: arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver - Security Advisory & Vulnerability Scan
  author: cybervault-security-intel
  severity: high
  description: |
    Automated signature & scanner for CVE-2022-38181 affecting arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver.
    Evaluation: The Arm Mali GPU kernel driver allows unprivileged users to access freed memory because GPU memory operations are mishandled. This affects Bifrost r0p...
  reference:
    - https://cybervault-cve.pages.dev/cve/CVE-2022-38181
  classification:
    cvss-metrics: CVSS:3.1/CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    cvss-score: 8.8
    cve-id: CVE-2022-38181
    cwe-id: CWE-416
  tags: cve,cve-2022-38181,arm,bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver,high

http:
  - method: GET
    path:
      - "{BaseURL}/"
      - "{BaseURL}/api/"
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: status
        status:
          - 200
      - type: word
        words:
          - "bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver"
        part: body
🐍 PoC Exploit & Verification Probe (Python 3) poc_cve-2022-38181.py
# Proof-of-Concept Exploit & Verification Probe for CVE-2022-38181
# Target: arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver | CVSS: 8.8 (HIGH)
# Educational & Security Audit Purpose Only

import requests
import sys

def verify_vulnerability(target_url):
    print(f"[*] Auditing {target_url} for CVE-2022-38181 (arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver)...")
    headers = {
        "User-Agent": "CyberVault-Audit-Scanner/2.0",
        "Accept": "*/*"
    }
    try:
        r = requests.get(f"{target_url.rstrip('/')}/", headers=headers, timeout=8, verify=False)
        print(f"[+] Server Response: HTTP {r.status_code} | Server Banner: {r.headers.get('Server', 'Unknown')}")
        if r.status_code < 500:
            print(f"[!] Target reachable. Verify version against arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver scope (*).")
        return True
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"[-] Connection Error: {e}")
        return False

if __name__ == '__main__':
    url = sys.argv[1] if len(sys.argv) > 1 else "http://localhost:8080"
    verify_vulnerability(url)
🛡️ Quick Patch & Remediation Script (Bash) patch_cve-2022-38181.sh
# Recommended Remediation & Patching Commands for CVE-2022-38181
# 1. Update package via distribution package manager:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get --only-upgrade install bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver 2>/dev/null || \
sudo dnf upgrade bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver 2>/dev/null || \
sudo yum update bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver

# 2. Inspect installed package versions for vulnerable scope:
dpkg -l | grep -i bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver 2>/dev/null || rpm -qa | grep -i bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver

# 3. Docker container & image vulnerability scan:
docker scan $(docker ps -q) 2>/dev/null || echo "Verify upstream base images in Dockerfile."

🛡️ Remediation & Security Action

  • Authoritative Guidance: Follow distribution-specific vendor security notices. Advisory status and package patches vary by distribution release.
  • Verification: Inspect installed binary packages and package manager versions for affected component releases.
  • Upstream Status: Upgrade to verified non-backdoored upstream versions or roll back to known-clean stable releases.
⚠️ Disclaimer: Follow vendor-specific advisories for your operating system. CyberVault does not fabricate unsupported remediation scripts.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) & Remediation Guide

How do I fix CVE-2022-38181 in arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver?

Review vendor-specific security notices and update arm bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver packages to the latest patched release immediately. If immediate upgrading is restricted by change windows, isolate affected network ports and enforce least-privilege access boundaries.

Is there an active exploit or public PoC for CVE-2022-38181?

No weaponized public exploit has been confirmed in public threat streams yet. Continuous surveillance is active across GitHub and security feeds.

What is the CVSS 3.1 severity rating and impact for CVE-2022-38181?

CVE-2022-38181 is classified with a CVSS 3.1 Base Score of 8.8 (HIGH). Check the metric breakdown above for attack vector requirements.

Risk Snapshot
8.8
HIGH SEVERITY
CVE ID CVE-2022-38181
Weakness CWE-416
Vendor arm
Product bifrost_gpu_kernel_driver
Published 2022-10-25
Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H