CVE-2021-1905Known exploitation

Kernel memory corruption via GPU mapping race

Published May 7, 2021 · Updated Oct 21, 2025

Use-after-free in Qualcomm Snapdragon's Adreno GPU kernel driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent mappings. Closing one of several VMAs clears the shared kgsl_mem_entry useraddr field, permitting reuse, while concurrent kgsl_get_unmapped_area calls race without locking. Exploitation requires local code to create shared mappings across processes and win the race; successful abuse can expose kernel or GPU memory access.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability1.54%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Qualcomm Snapdragon's Adreno GPU kernel driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent mappings. Closing one of several VMAs clears the shared kgsl_mem_entry useraddr field, permitting reuse, while concurrent kgsl_get_unmapped_area calls race without locking. Exploitation requires local code to create shared mappings across processes and win the race; successful abuse can expose kernel or GPU memory access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-1905
Published
May 7, 2021
Updated
Oct 21, 2025
Vendor
Qualcomm
Product
Snapdragon
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 3, 2021Exploitation reportedLimited targeted exploitation reported by Android
  2. May 7, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  3. Nov 3, 2021Exploitation reportedCISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities listing
  4. Oct 21, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=APQ8009, APQ8009W, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8064AU, APQ8096AU, AQT1000, AR8031, AR8035, AR8151, CSRA6620, CSRA6640, FSM10055, FSM10056, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9626, MDM9628, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, PM215, PM3003A, PM4125, PM4250, PM439, PM456, PM6125, PM6150, PM6150A, PM6150L, PM6250, PM6350, PM640A, PM640L, PM640P, PM660, PM660A, PM660L, PM670, PM670A, PM670L, PM7150A, PM7150L, PM7250, PM7250B, PM8004, PM8005, PM8008, PM8009, PM8150, PM8150A, PM8150B, PM8150C, PM8150L, PM8250, PM8350, PM8350B, PM8350BH, PM8350C, PM855, PM855A, PM855B, PM855L, PM855P, PM8909, PM8916, PM8937, PM8953, PM8998, PMC1000H, PMD9607, PMD9655, PME605, PMI632, PMI8937, PMI8952, PMI8998, PMK8002, PMK8003, PMK8350, PMM6155AU, PMM8155AU, PMM8195AU, PMM855AU, PMM8920AU, PMM8996AU, PMR525, PMR735A, PMR735B, PMW3100, PMX20, PMX24, PMX50, PMX55, QAT3514, QAT3516, QAT3518, QAT3519, QAT3522, QAT3550, QAT3555, QAT5515, QAT5516, QAT5522, QAT5533, QAT5568, QBT1000, QBT1500, QBT2000, QCA4020, QCA6174, QCA6174A, QCA ...[truncated*]

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Qualcomm · Snapdragonversion=APQ8009, APQ8009W, APQ8017, APQ8053, APQ8064AU, APQ8096AU, AQT1000, AR8031, AR8035, AR8151, CSRA6620, CSRA6640, FSM10055, FSM10056, MDM9206, MDM9607, MDM9626, MDM9628, MDM9650, MSM8909W, MSM8917, MSM8953, MSM8996AU, PM215, PM3003A, PM4125, PM4250, PM439, PM456, PM6125, PM6150, PM6150A, PM6150L, PM6250, PM6350, PM640A, PM640L, PM640P, PM660, PM660A, PM660L, PM670, PM670A, PM670L, PM7150A, PM7150L, PM7250, PM7250B, PM8004, PM8005, PM8008, PM8009, PM8150, PM8150A, PM8150B, PM8150C, PM8150L, PM8250, PM8350, PM8350B, PM8350BH, PM8350C, PM855, PM855A, PM855B, PM855L, PM855P, PM8909, PM8916, PM8937, PM8953, PM8998, PMC1000H, PMD9607, PMD9655, PME605, PMI632, PMI8937, PMI8952, PMI8998, PMK8002, PMK8003, PMK8350, PMM6155AU, PMM8155AU, PMM8195AU, PMM855AU, PMM8920AU, PMM8996AU, PMR525, PMR735A, PMR735B, PMW3100, PMX20, PMX24, PMX50, PMX55, QAT3514, QAT3516, QAT3518, QAT3519, QAT3522, QAT3550, QAT3555, QAT5515, QAT5516, QAT5522, QAT5533, QAT5568, QBT1000, QBT1500, QBT2000, QCA4020, QCA6174, QCA6174A, QCA ...[truncated*]

Published CVSS scores

8.4Qualcomm, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

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