CVE-2026-45196 Overview
CVE-2026-45196 is a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Imagination Technologies GPU drivers and firmware. Kernel software running inside a Host virtual machine (VM) can submit improper commands to the GPU firmware. These commands trigger a GPU register access that permits privilege escalation beyond the caller's intended boundaries. The issue is tracked under CWE-280: Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges. Local access with existing kernel privileges inside the guest is required for exploitation. Successful abuse compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
Critical Impact
A compromised or malicious guest kernel can escape virtualization boundaries at the GPU layer, enabling privilege escalation on the host through register access triggered by crafted firmware commands.
Affected Products
- Imagination Technologies GPU DDK (Driver Development Kit)
- Host VM environments using affected Imagination GPU firmware
- Systems integrating vulnerable Imagination GPU kernel drivers
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-10 - CVE-2026-45196 published to NVD
- 2026-07-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-45196
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the command validation path between guest kernel software and the GPU firmware. Kernel code inside a Host VM submits command streams to the GPU firmware for scheduling and execution. The firmware fails to enforce sufficient privilege checks on specific command sequences. A crafted command causes the GPU firmware to perform a register access that should be restricted to higher-privilege contexts. This register write or read grants the guest an execution path outside its intended isolation boundary. Classified under [CWE-280], the flaw stems from improper handling of privileges when acting on command inputs.
Root Cause
The GPU firmware treats commands originating from a Host VM kernel as sufficiently privileged to trigger sensitive register operations. Isolation between guest kernel privilege and firmware-managed hardware state is not properly enforced. Register accesses that should require host-level authorization become reachable through normal command submission channels.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires local access with kernel-level privileges inside a guest VM. No user interaction is needed. An attacker who already controls the guest kernel — through a prior compromise or a malicious driver — issues shaped commands to the GPU firmware interface. The firmware then executes register accesses that escalate privileges. The attack vector is local rather than network-reachable, but the impact spans confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the host system.
No verified public exploit code or proof-of-concept has been published. Technical details are described in the Imagination Technologies Driver Vulnerabilities advisory.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-45196
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected GPU firmware command submissions originating from guest VM kernel contexts outside normal graphics or compute workloads.
- Anomalous kernel module loads or driver replacements inside Host VMs that interact with Imagination GPU device nodes.
- Host-side log entries showing GPU register accesses correlated with guest activity that lacks a legitimate rendering or compute workload.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor guest VM kernel integrity, including loaded modules and driver signatures, to detect tampering that precedes GPU firmware abuse.
- Baseline expected GPU command submission patterns per workload and alert on deviations, particularly high-frequency or malformed submissions.
- Correlate hypervisor and host telemetry with guest process activity to identify privilege escalation attempts crossing the VM boundary.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest host kernel, hypervisor, and GPU driver logs into a centralized analytics platform for cross-source correlation.
- Alert on new kernel modules interacting with /dev/dri/ or Imagination-specific device interfaces on affected systems.
- Track firmware version state across the fleet to identify hosts still running vulnerable GPU firmware.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-45196
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all systems using Imagination Technologies GPU drivers and firmware in virtualized deployments.
- Apply vendor-supplied firmware and driver updates referenced in the Imagination Technologies advisory as soon as they are available.
- Restrict which guest VMs are permitted GPU passthrough or shared GPU access until patched firmware is deployed.
Patch Information
Refer to the Imagination Technologies Driver Vulnerabilities page for the authoritative list of fixed driver and firmware versions. Coordinate with hardware and platform vendors that integrate the affected GPU DDK to obtain downstream patched builds.
Workarounds
- Disable GPU passthrough or virtualized GPU access for untrusted guest VMs until fixed firmware is applied.
- Enforce least-privilege on guest kernels by limiting root and driver-loading capabilities in tenant workloads.
- Isolate workloads that require GPU acceleration onto dedicated hosts separated from higher-sensitivity tenants.
# Example: identify Imagination GPU devices and loaded kernel modules on a Linux host
lspci -nn | grep -i 'imagination\|PowerVR'
lsmod | grep -Ei 'pvr|img'
# Review current firmware/driver version reported by the driver
dmesg | grep -Ei 'pvr|powervr|imagination'
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
