# CVE-2025-3212: Mali GPU Kernel Driver allows access to already freed memory

> A local attacker can exploit a use-after-free flaw in Arm Mali GPU drivers to access freed memory, potentially leading to privilege escalation on Android devices.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 8 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** A-421179224, ASB-A-421179224, GHSA-q5gx-qj4h-ghfh

## What is CVE-2025-3212?

CVE-2025-3212 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver, published on 8 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Use After Free vulnerability in Arm Ltd Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver, Arm Ltd Valhall GPU Kernel Driver, Arm Ltd Arm 5th Gen GPU Architecture Kernel Driver allows a local non-privileged user process to perform valid GPU memory processing operations to gain access to already freed memory.This issue affects Bifrost GPU Kernel Driver: from r41p0 through r49p4, from r50p0 through r51p0; Valhall GPU Kernel Driver: from r41p0 through r49p4, from r50p0 through r54p0; Arm 5th Gen GPU Architecture Kernel Driver: from r41p0 through r49p4, from r50p0 through r54p0.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-3212?

It affects 3 products.


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

## How do I fix CVE-2025-3212?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-3212 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-3212 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver

- [CVE-2023-4211](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4211/): Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free (medium 5.5, exploited in the wild)
- [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)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-3212 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-3212 is a medium-severity use after free vulnerability in Arm Valhall Gpu Kernel Driver, published on 8 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-3212 in the wild and no public exploit code.

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-2025-3212/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-3212/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-3212
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-3212
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-3212

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-3212/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.