CVE-2024-52937
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows kernel software running inside a Guest Virtual Machine to write data outside its allocated GPU memory boundaries by exploiting shared memory with GPU firmware. This affects virtualization environments using Imagination Technologies GPU hardware with vulnerable firmware. Attackers could potentially escape VM isolation or corrupt GPU operations.
💻 Affected Systems
- Imagination Technologies GPU hardware with vulnerable firmware
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
VM escape leading to host system compromise, data exfiltration, or denial of service affecting multiple VMs sharing the same GPU hardware.
Likely Case
GPU memory corruption causing application crashes, graphical artifacts, or limited data leakage within the virtualization environment.
If Mitigated
Isolated GPU operations with no cross-VM impact, limited to graphical anomalies in the affected VM only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires kernel-level access within a Guest VM and specific knowledge of GPU memory layout; not trivial to exploit.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Imagination Technologies GPU firmware updates
Vendor Advisory: https://www.imaginationtech.com/gpu-driver-vulnerabilities/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check Imagination Technologies advisory for affected firmware versions. 2. Update GPU firmware through vendor-provided patches. 3. Update hypervisor GPU drivers if applicable. 4. Reboot affected systems to apply firmware updates.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable GPU passthrough
allPrevent Guest VMs from accessing GPU hardware directly
Check hypervisor documentation for disabling GPU passthrough (e.g., remove GPU from VM configuration)
Isolate GPU resources
allAssign dedicated GPU hardware to specific VMs to prevent cross-VM exploitation
Configure hypervisor to use GPU partitioning or SR-IOV with strict isolation
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict VM isolation policies and monitor for unusual GPU memory access patterns
- Restrict kernel-level access within Guest VMs to trusted users only
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check GPU firmware version against Imagination Technologies advisory; verify if virtualization environment uses Imagination GPU hardware with shared memory features enabled.Check Version:
lspci -v | grep -i imagination (Linux) or check GPU firmware through vendor toolsVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm GPU firmware has been updated to patched version; test VM isolation by attempting controlled memory writes across GPU boundaries (in test environment only).📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual GPU memory access patterns in hypervisor logs
- GPU firmware error messages indicating memory boundary violations
- VM kernel logs showing unexpected GPU operations
Network Indicators:
- Not network exploitable; no network indicators
SIEM Query:
Search for GPU firmware errors or hypervisor alerts related to memory access violations across VM boundaries