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CVE-2021-29256 Arm CVE debrief

CVE-2021-29256 is an Arm Mali GPU kernel driver use-after-free that CISA added to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. The KEV listing means defenders should treat this as an active risk, not just a theoretical bug. The supplied CISA guidance is straightforward: apply vendor updates per vendor instructions, or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable. The timeline supplied with this record shows the KEV entry date and due date, which should be used for remediation prioritization.

Vendor
Arm
Product
Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
CVSS
Unknown
CISA KEV
Listed
Original CVE published
2023-07-07
Original CVE updated
2023-07-07
Advisory published
2023-07-07
Advisory updated
2023-07-07

Who should care

Organizations that deploy or manage devices using the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver should care most, especially security teams responsible for patching, asset inventory, and endpoint or embedded-device remediation. Any fleet owner that cannot quickly confirm whether affected driver versions are present should treat this as a priority.

Technical summary

The issue is a use-after-free in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver, which is a memory-safety flaw in kernel-space code. CISA has classified it as a known exploited vulnerability, so defenders should assume exposure can be actively targeted and should prioritize remediation based on presence of the affected driver and the inability to confirm a safe version.

Defensive priority

Urgent

Recommended defensive actions

  • Inventory systems and device fleets to identify where the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver is present.
  • Apply vendor updates according to Arm's instructions as soon as they are available and approved for your environment.
  • If updates are unavailable for a deployed product, discontinue use of the affected product as CISA advises.
  • Prioritize remediation for the most business-critical systems first, while ensuring all confirmed affected assets are covered before the KEV due date.
  • Verify remediation by rescanning inventory and confirming the vulnerable driver is no longer present or is fully updated.

Evidence notes

This debrief is grounded in the supplied CISA KEV source item and official records. The source metadata identifies the vulnerability as 'Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability,' marks it as a KEV item, and includes the remediation note to apply vendor updates or discontinue use if updates are unavailable. The supplied timeline shows the KEV date added as 2023-07-07 and the due date as 2023-07-28. No CVSS score was provided in the supplied corpus.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2021-29256 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-29256

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2021-29256 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-29256

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

  • CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog

    Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency - Official CISA catalog of vulnerabilities known to be exploited in the wild.

Supplemental references

  • Source item URL

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/feeds/known_exploited_vulnerabilities.json

    cisa_kev

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.