CVE-2026-41157: WebGPU Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2026-41157 Overview

CVE-2026-41157 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] in the Imagination Technologies GPU user-space driver. A web page containing crafted WebGPU content loaded into the GPU GLES render process can trigger memory corruption. The root cause is an integer overflow during memory size computation derived from untrusted input. Subsequent write operations exceed the intended buffer boundary, corrupting adjacent memory.

The vulnerability affects the browser and GPU process, leading to instability, crashes, or potential code execution within the render process context. The flaw is reachable over the network without authentication or user interaction beyond visiting a malicious page.

Critical Impact
Remote attackers can trigger memory corruption in the GPU user-space driver through malicious WebGPU content, causing browser/GPU process crashes and potentially enabling code execution.

Affected Products

Imagination Technologies GPU user-space drivers (GLES render path)
Devices using Imagination PowerVR GPU drivers with WebGPU-enabled browsers
Systems exposing the GPU GLES render process to untrusted web content

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-12 - CVE-2026-41157 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-41157

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the Imagination Technologies GPU user-space driver responsible for handling GLES render operations. When a browser processes WebGPU content, command buffers and resource descriptors are passed from the renderer into the GPU driver. The driver computes the memory size required to back these resources using values derived from the web page.

Because the size calculation is susceptible to integer overflow, attacker-supplied dimensions produce a wrapped value smaller than the actual data length. The driver allocates an undersized buffer based on this truncated value. Subsequent write operations then iterate using the original, untrusted length and write past the allocated boundary into adjacent heap memory.

The corruption occurs inside the GPU process address space, which holds driver state, command queues, and shader compilation buffers. Successful exploitation can pivot from memory corruption to arbitrary write primitives suitable for browser sandbox escape research.

Root Cause

The driver fails to validate that the product of width, height, and element size remains within the bounds of the target integer type before allocation. This is a classic integer overflow leading to out-of-bounds write [CWE-787]. The trust boundary between the untrusted WebGPU renderer and the privileged GPU user-space driver is not enforced through sanity checks on size arithmetic.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based. An attacker hosts a web page containing malicious WebGPU shader or buffer content. When a victim using a vulnerable browser and Imagination GPU driver loads the page, the GLES render process parses the content. The driver performs the flawed size computation and writes attacker-controlled data beyond the allocated buffer. No authentication or interaction beyond page navigation is required.

No public proof-of-concept code or verified exploit examples are available. Refer to the Imagination Technologies Driver Vulnerabilities advisory for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-41157

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected crashes of the browser GPU process or GLES render process on devices with Imagination GPUs
Kernel or user-space driver log entries referencing memory faults in the GPU driver after browsing untrusted sites
Browser process termination signals (SIGSEGV, SIGABRT) correlated with WebGPU-enabled page loads

Detection Strategies

Monitor browser telemetry for GPU process crash reports with stack traces inside Imagination driver modules
Inspect network proxy logs for WebGPU-heavy content from low-reputation domains delivered to vulnerable endpoints
Correlate GPU process crash events with recent WebGL/WebGPU API usage patterns in browser audit logs

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose crash reporting in deployed browsers and forward GPU process minidumps to a centralized analysis pipeline
Track endpoint inventory for devices using Imagination PowerVR GPUs and prioritize them for driver patch compliance
Alert on repeated GPU process restarts on a single host, which can indicate exploitation attempts or fuzzing activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-41157

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the updated Imagination Technologies GPU driver as soon as the vendor publishes a patched version for your platform
Identify all endpoints and mobile devices using Imagination PowerVR GPU drivers and prioritize them for remediation
Restrict access to untrusted websites on affected devices until patched drivers are deployed

Patch Information

Consult the Imagination Technologies Driver Vulnerabilities advisory for the authoritative list of fixed driver versions and platform-specific update guidance. Device OEMs and OS vendors typically distribute the patched driver through firmware or system updates.

Workarounds

Disable WebGPU in affected browsers through enterprise policy until patched drivers are available
Disable hardware acceleration in browsers on vulnerable devices to bypass the GLES render path
Use browser site isolation and strict content filtering to limit exposure to attacker-controlled WebGPU content

bash

# Example: disable WebGPU in Chromium-based browsers via enterprise policy
# /etc/opt/chrome/policies/managed/disable-webgpu.json
{
  "HardwareAccelerationModeEnabled": false,
  "WebGPUEnabled": false
}