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Linux Kernel vc4 EUVDEUVD-2026-57020

| CVE-2026-68445 HIGH
2026-08-12 Linux GHSA-rw5p-xff5-86qj
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Recon
    Obtain local user access on VC4-equipped system
  2. Delivery
    Open /dev/dri GPU device node
  3. Exploit
    Submit shader BO and trigger one-time validator approval
  4. Install
    mmap() validated BO with PROT_READ only
  5. C2
    Invoke mprotect() to upgrade mapping to PROT_WRITE
  6. Execute
    Overwrite approved shader bytecode in-place
  7. Impact
    GPU executes unvalidated malicious shader instructions

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires a local user account (PR:L) on a system equipped with a Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU - specifically Raspberry Pi models 1, 2, 3, and devices using BCM2835, BCM2836, BCM2837, or BCM2711 SoCs. The attacker must have open access to the DRM device node (/dev/dri/card* or /dev/dri/renderD*), which on default Raspberry Pi OS configurations is accessible to members of the 'video' or 'render' groups. No network access, no special kernel configuration, and no user interaction are required. Systems without VC4 hardware - including all x86, ARM server, and non-Raspberry Pi Linux deployments - are entirely unaffected regardless of kernel version. Limiting factors: AV:L (local access only), PR:L (standard user with GPU group membership), hardware-specific (VC4 GPU must be present and accessible), and no remote exploitation path exists.

Impact

The CVSS 7.8 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) accurately characterizes this vulnerability: local, low-complexity, low-privilege access yields full CIA impact. The EPSS of 17% is meaningfully elevated for a kernel driver flaw targeting niche embedded hardware - it suggests a non-trivial community awareness of exploitability, though no KEV listing or public POC has been identified at time of analysis. Real-world risk is sharply bounded by hardware specificity: only systems with VC4 GPUs (Raspberry Pi and BCM283x-based devices) are affected; the vast majority of Linux deployments on x86 servers and cloud infrastructure are entirely unaffected. For operators of VC4-based systems - including IoT deployments, kiosk systems, and educational Raspberry Pi environments - where local, untrusted users have access to the GPU device node, this is a genuine priority given the low attack complexity and high impact. The CVSS and EPSS signals are consistent and not conflicting; the primary limiting factor on population risk is the hardware-specific deployment scope.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user on a Raspberry Pi running an unpatched kernel opens the DRM device node (/dev/dri/card0), submits a shader buffer object through the vc4 GEM interface, and triggers the validator to approve it. The attacker then mmap()s the validated BO with PROT_READ to obtain a read-only mapping, and immediately calls mprotect() on that mapping to upgrade it to PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE - this succeeds because VM_MAYWRITE was never cleared. The attacker overwrites the approved shader bytecode in-place with malicious GPU instructions, which the GPU then executes without re-validation, potentially enabling privilege escalation or security sandbox bypass on the affected device. No public POC has been identified, but the technique requires only standard Linux VM and DRM system calls.

Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Why: HIGH severity + EPSS > 10%.
Patch available 17.0% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 14, 2026

GPU shader validation bypass in the Linux kernel's drm/vc4 driver allows local low-privileged users to rewrite validated shader bytecode after it has been approved by the GPU security validator. Specifically, vc4_gem_object_mmap() rejects writable mappings of validated shader buffer objects (BOs) but neglects to clear VM_MAYWRITE, enabling a two-step attack: map the BO read-only, then invoke mprotect() to silently upgrade the mapping to PROT_WRITE, bypassing the one-time validation check the GPU trusts unconditionally. No public exploit has been identified and no CISA KEV listing exists, but an EPSS of 17% is elevated for a local-only kernel driver issue, warranting prompt patching on affected Raspberry Pi and BCM283x-based platforms.

RemediationAI

Upgrade to a patched Linux kernel release: 6.6.148, 6.12.101, 6.18.42, 7.1.6, or 7.2-rc5, applying the corresponding stable commit for the running kernel series from https://git.kernel.org/stable/. Distribution maintainers for Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, Debian, and other VC4-targeting distributions should be monitored for downstream kernel updates incorporating these patches. For systems that cannot be immediately updated, restrict access to DRM device nodes (/dev/dri/card* and /dev/dri/renderD*) using filesystem permissions (e.g., chmod 660 with a restricted group) or udev rules so only trusted, explicitly authorized users can open GPU device files - this eliminates the local access prerequisite entirely. Trade-off: restricting /dev/dri access will break GPU-accelerated applications (display compositors, multimedia pipelines) for affected user accounts, requiring group membership management. As a secondary measure, consider kernel module unloading (rmmod vc4) on headless systems that do not require GPU access, though this may affect display output.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 463873d5701427f2964a0b4b72c45f1f14b6df87 <0c9e6367639548307d3f578f6943ce72c9d39087
Linux patch: 6.6.148
Linux 463873d5701427f2964a0b4b72c45f1f14b6df87 <9f0ee411fc2d76333d6087c5862ffa907cf7a175
Linux patch: 6.12.101
Linux 463873d5701427f2964a0b4b72c45f1f14b6df87 <fe168ef1d232d734d9998fd74822e2e20930dfff
Linux patch: 7.2-rc5
Linux 463873d5701427f2964a0b4b72c45f1f14b6df87 <6deaa317201851c644c431b57682e54d06b35838
Linux patch: 6.18.42
Linux patch: 0
Linux 4.5
Linux 463873d5701427f2964a0b4b72c45f1f14b6df87 <019e6ad247f7fd038d2e009789f6d9bfcccb1ae7
Linux patch: 7.1.6

Affected Packages

euvd linux no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The drm/vc4 driver supports Broadcom VideoCore IV GPUs, used primarily in Raspberry Pi 1-3 and BCM2835/BCM2711 SoC-based embedded systems. The vc4 security model relies on a one-shot shader validator: GPU shader instructions in a buffer object (BO) are checked once before execution, after which the GPU implicitly trusts them. The vulnerability resides in vc4_gem_object_mmap(): while it correctly refuses an initial PROT_WRITE mmap() on a validated shader BO, it leaves the VMA flag VM_MAYWRITE set. The Linux kernel's mprotect() syscall uses VM_MAYWRITE to gate whether a mapping's protections can be upgraded; with VM_MAYWRITE still present, any subsequent mprotect(PROT_READ|PROT_WRITE) call on the read-only mapping succeeds. The fix clears VM_MAYWRITE on the read-only path, mirroring a pattern already established in the i915 driver for its read-only GEM objects. The root cause class is an incomplete enforcement of immutability post-validation - the initial guard is present but the VM permission flag is not properly locked down, creating a TOCTOU-adjacent permission escalation. CPE: cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux:*.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

AV:L and PR:L confirmed by DRM device node access requirement; no scope change as impact is contained to the local system; C/I/A:H reflects GPU shader code execution bypass enabling arbitrary code execution in GPU context.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE HIGH
Red Hat 5.5 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Aug 13, 2026 - 23:37 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Aug 12, 2026 - 01:02 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 12, 2026 - 00:07 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Aug 12, 2026 - 00:07 cve.org
HIGH 7.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

drm/vc4: Prevent shader BO mappings from becoming writable

vc4_gem_object_mmap() rejects a writable mapping of a validated shader BO, but leaves VM_MAYWRITE set. Userspace can map the BO read-only and then turn it writable with mprotect().

Validated shader BOs must stay read-only: the validator checks the instructions once and the GPU trusts them afterwards. A writable mapping lets userspace rewrite the code after validation, bypassing the validator.

Clear VM_MAYWRITE on the read-only path so the mapping cannot be upgraded, as i915 already does for its read-only objects.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A GPU security bypass vulnerability in Raspberry Pi and BCM283x processors allows local users to circumvent shader code validation, potentially enabling unauthorized code execution on devices running these platforms. Organizations using these processors for edge computing, IoT, or embedded systems face direct risk to GPU-based operations and data processing integrity. An available vendor patch must be deployed urgently across all affected devices to restore validated security controls.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
17.0%
Prevalence
Low
Raspberry Pi and BCM283x embedded SoC platforms only
Social Media
1
Sightings
Data Quality
6 sources
Confidence: High

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 17.0%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity + EPSS > 10%
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

56
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +17
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Important
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Affected

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