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CVE-2022-38181 Arm CVE debrief

CVE-2022-38181 affects the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver and is described as a use-after-free vulnerability. CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog on 2023-03-30, which makes it a priority for remediation. The KEV entry directs defenders to apply updates per vendor instructions.

Vendor
Arm
Product
Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
CVSS
Unknown
CISA KEV
Listed
Original CVE published
2023-03-30
Original CVE updated
2023-03-30
Advisory published
2023-03-30
Advisory updated
2023-03-30

Who should care

Organizations that manage systems, devices, or firmware using the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver should pay close attention, including OEMs, fleet operators, and teams responsible for mobile, embedded, or other Arm-based devices.

Technical summary

The available source material identifies a use-after-free condition in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver. CISA classifies the issue as known exploited by including it in KEV, but the supplied corpus does not provide exploit details, affected versions, or impact specifics beyond the vulnerability type and product area.

Defensive priority

High / urgent. CISA’s KEV designation indicates active exploitation concern and a required remediation deadline of 2023-04-20 in the catalog entry.

Recommended defensive actions

  • Apply updates per vendor instructions as soon as possible.
  • Inventory devices and software that use the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver.
  • Track the Arm Security Center guidance referenced by CISA for product-specific remediation steps.
  • Validate that updates were applied across managed fleets and OEM-supported devices.
  • Monitor CISA KEV and vendor advisories for any follow-up guidance or revised remediation instructions.

Evidence notes

The CVE record and title describe a use-after-free vulnerability in the Arm Mali GPU kernel driver. CISA’s KEV metadata lists Arm as the vendor project, Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) as the product, and notes the required action: apply updates per vendor instructions. The KEV entry was added on 2023-03-30 with a due date of 2023-04-20. The supplied corpus also references the official Arm Security Center Mali GPU Driver Vulnerabilities page and the NVD CVE detail page.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2022-38181 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-38181

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

  • CVE-2022-38181 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38181

    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.