CVE-2026-49744 Overview
CVE-2026-49744 affects Imagination Technologies GPU drivers where kernel software inside a Guest virtual machine can post malformed commands to the GPU Firmware. These commands trigger writes outside the Guest's virtualised GPU memory region. The flaw is classified under [CWE-823] Use of Out-of-range Pointer Offset.
Successful exploitation allows malware embedded in a Guest Kernel Mode Driver (KMD) to escalate privileges and escape virtualization boundaries. The vulnerability requires local access and low privileges within the Guest VM, but yields high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Critical Impact
An attacker with kernel-level access inside a Guest VM can break out of the virtualisation boundary through the GPU Firmware, compromising the host and other tenants sharing the GPU.
Affected Products
- Imagination Technologies GPU DDK (Driver Development Kit)
- GPU Firmware components handling virtualised Guest memory
- Kernel Mode Driver (KMD) in Guest VM configurations
Discovery Timeline
- 2026-07-24 - CVE-2026-49744 published to NVD
- 2026-07-28 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2026-49744
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the command validation path between the Guest Kernel Mode Driver and the GPU Firmware. The firmware processes commands submitted by the Guest KMD but fails to fully validate memory offsets or address ranges against the Guest's assigned virtualised GPU memory. Crafted commands cause the firmware to perform writes to memory regions belonging to the host or other Guests.
Because the GPU Firmware operates at a privilege level above the hypervisor's Guest boundary enforcement, an out-of-bounds write from firmware context bypasses the isolation model that separates virtualised tenants. This transforms a Guest kernel compromise into a full virtualization escape.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper enforcement of memory boundary constraints on GPU Firmware commands originating from Guest kernel code. The firmware trusts pointer offsets or descriptors supplied by the Guest KMD without adequately verifying that resulting writes stay within the Guest's allocated GPU memory partition, matching the [CWE-823] pattern.
Attack Vector
An attacker must first obtain kernel-level code execution inside a Guest VM, typically through separate malware or a prior exploit chain targeting the Guest OS. From that foothold, the attacker submits crafted GPU command buffers to the KMD, which forwards them to the GPU Firmware. The malformed commands cause the firmware to write attacker-controlled data outside the Guest's virtualised GPU memory, corrupting host-side structures or the memory of neighbouring Guests.
No user interaction is required, and the attack executes locally within the compromised Guest. Full technical details are available in the Imagination Technologies GPU Driver Vulnerabilities advisory.
Detection Methods for CVE-2026-49744
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected GPU Firmware command submissions from Guest KMD contexts containing anomalous memory descriptors or offsets.
- Host-side memory corruption or crashes correlated with GPU workload activity in a specific Guest VM.
- Guest VMs exhibiting unusual GPU driver behaviour, kernel panics, or firmware reset events.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor hypervisor and host kernel logs for GPU Firmware faults, MMU errors, or unexpected page faults tied to GPU DMA regions.
- Baseline normal GPU command submission patterns per Guest and alert on deviations in command size, descriptor structure, or submission frequency.
- Correlate Guest kernel driver load events with subsequent host-side GPU or memory anomalies to identify potential escape attempts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose GPU Firmware logging where supported and forward events to a centralised analytics platform for retention and correlation.
- Track integrity of Guest kernel modules to identify unauthorised or modified KMD binaries that could stage this attack.
- Alert on privilege escalation patterns inside Guest VMs that precede GPU-heavy workloads from untrusted tenants.
How to Mitigate CVE-2026-49744
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the updated GPU DDK and firmware releases from Imagination Technologies as soon as they are available for your platform integration.
- Inventory all systems running Imagination Technologies GPUs in virtualised or multi-tenant configurations and prioritise those exposing GPU acceleration to untrusted Guests.
- Restrict Guest VM access to GPU passthrough and virtualised GPU features to trusted workloads until patches are deployed.
Patch Information
Refer to the Imagination Technologies GPU Driver Vulnerabilities advisory for the list of fixed DDK and firmware versions. Patches must be integrated by the SoC or platform vendor and delivered through their firmware update channels, so coordinate with your hardware supplier for delivery timelines.
Workarounds
- Disable virtualised GPU exposure to Guest VMs where GPU acceleration is not strictly required.
- Limit Guest VMs with GPU access to single-tenant hosts to reduce cross-tenant impact if the boundary is broken.
- Harden Guest operating systems to reduce the likelihood of an attacker gaining the kernel-level access needed to reach the GPU KMD.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
