# CVE-2023-4211: Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free

> A local attacker can exploit a use-after-free flaw in the Mali GPU kernel driver to access freed memory, potentially leading to privilege escalation or code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Yes, since 3 Oct 2023 (CISA KEV)
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 1 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** A-294605494, ASB-A-294605494, GHSA-7537-p54v-mh3v, PUB-A-294605494

## What is CVE-2023-4211?

CVE-2023-4211 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver, published on 1 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A local non-privileged user can make improper GPU memory processing operations  to gain access to already freed memory.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-4211?

It affects 4 products.


Products: Arm 5th Gen Gpu Architecture Kernel Driver, Arm Bifrost Gpu Kernel Driver, Arm Midgard Gpu Kernel Driver, Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-4211?

Apply the vendor's patch. US federal agencies must fix it by 24 Oct 2023.

## Is CVE-2023-4211 being exploited?

Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-4211 in the wild since at least 3 Oct 2023.

## Other vulnerabilities in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver

- [CVE-2023-26083](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-26083/): Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Information Disclosure (low 3.3, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2023-6143](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6143/): Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows improper GPU memory processing operations (high 8.4)
- [CVE-2025-0073](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0073/): Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows improper GPU memory processing operations (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-0819](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0819/): Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows access to already freed memory (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-0072](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0072/): Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows improper GPU memory processing operations (high 7.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-4211 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-4211 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver, published on 1 Oct 2023. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: Yes. Attackers have exploited CVE-2023-4211 in the wild since at least 3 Oct 2023.

Affected product: Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4211/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4211/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-4211
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-4211
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-4211

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4211/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.