CVE-2021-29256: in the CISA KEV catalogue
Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability. CISA added CVE-2021-29256 to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2023-07-07 with a default due date of 2023-07-28. Known ransomware campaign use: Unknown. Forensic triage flag: No.
Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver contains a use-after-free vulnerability that may allow a non-privileged user to gain root privilege and/or disclose information. (CISA description)
- Vendor / product
- Arm Mali Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
- CWE
- CWE-416
- CISA required action
- Apply updates per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable.
- EPSS
- 3.0%, percentile 87 (scored 2026-11-03)
EPSS puts about 3.0 in 100 odds (3.0%) on exploitation activity being observed in the next 30 days. Its score is higher than or equal to that of 87% of scored CVEs. This is a model estimate about exploitation anywhere, not about your environment.
Vendor and reference links (from CISA)
Your own deadline under CISA BOD 26-04 depends on exposure, automatability and technical impact: work it out with the BOD 26-04 calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is CVE-2021-29256 in the CISA KEV catalogue?
Yes. CISA added CVE-2021-29256 (Arm Mali GPU Kernel Driver Use-After-Free Vulnerability) to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on 2023-07-07. CISA's default due date for it is 2023-07-28.
Is CVE-2021-29256 used in ransomware attacks?
CISA marks known ransomware campaign use as Unknown for CVE-2021-29256. That means CISA lacks confirmation, not that ransomware groups do not use it.
What should I do about CVE-2021-29256?
CISA's required action: Apply updates per vendor instructions or discontinue use of the product if updates are unavailable.
Sources
- CISA, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog (accessed 2026-11-03)
- FIRST, Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) (EPSS by FIRST; scores generated by Empirical Security)
- NVD record for CVE-2021-29256