CVE-2024-46779

What it actually does

Failure to free pvr_vm_gpuva object after GPU VA unlink operation in the Imagination DRM driver results in repeated small memory leaks during device memory remap/unmap operations.

Why it matters to the business

Systems using affected Imagination GPUs may experience gradual memory exhaustion during normal high-frequency graphics or compute workloads, potentially causing performance degradation or requiring reboots.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access triggers repeated GPU memory mapping and unmapping operations to accelerate the leak and exhaust available kernel memory.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing commit 1cc695be8920df234f83270d789078cb2d3bc564 or later stable release that includes the pvr_vm_gpuva free-after-unlink fix.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the presence of commit 1cc695be8920df234f83270d789078cb2d3bc564 in the kernel source or confirm the fixed kernel package version is installed and reboot if required.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local access to a system with Imagination GPU and vulnerable kernel
2. Execute workloads or code that repeatedly performs device memory remap or unmap operations
3. Accumulate leaked allocations until memory pressure leads to denial of service

How to detect it

Review kernel memory allocation statistics and dmesg logs for repeated small allocations in the DRM Imagination driver path without corresponding frees; no specific post-exploitation artifacts exist.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on systems with Imagination GPUs due to high-usage code path
• Monitor memory usage trends on affected devices for unexpected growth
• Apply the fix during the next maintenance window if immediate patching is not feasible