CVE-2024-46974
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2024-46974 is a high-severity Incorrect Privilege Assignment (CWE-266) vulnerability in Imaginationtech (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 5th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-24 (Access Control Decisions) and AC-25 (Reference Monitor) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2024-46974 affects the Imagination Technologies GPU driver, where software installed and run as a non-privileged user can conduct improper read/write operations on imported/exported DMA buffers. This vulnerability, published on 2025-01-31, is linked to CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment for Critical Resource) and CWE-274 (Improper Handling of Insufficient Privileges or Quota). It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this issue through low-complexity means without requiring user interaction. Exploitation allows improper access to DMA buffers, potentially enabling arbitrary read/write operations that compromise system security, data exposure, modification of critical resources, or denial of service.
Imagination Technologies has issued an advisory detailing GPU driver vulnerabilities, including CVE-2024-46974, available at https://www.imaginationtech.com/gpu-driver-vulnerabilities/. Security practitioners should review this reference for specific patch information, mitigation steps, and affected driver versions.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-42208
Vulnerability Data
Software installed and run as a non-privileged user may conduct improper read/write operations on imported/exported DMA buffers.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 13 hardening rules · 7 OS baselines
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Always-invoked reference monitor guarantees privilege checks occur and cannot be bypassed or mishandled.
Enforces approved authorizations so insufficient privileges produce a proper denial instead of mishandled failure.
Requires every access request to be decided against current authorizations, preventing ad-hoc privilege handling.
Least privilege directly requires that only the minimal necessary privileges are assigned to each actor.
Account management defines and authorizes the exact privileges granted to each account or role.
Separation of duties constrains which privilege combinations may be assigned to any actor.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Directly enforces least-privilege policy definition, management, and review that prevents incorrect privilege assignments.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
The access-rights control governs the entire lifecycle of privilege assignment, directly eliminating incorrect assignments.
Privileged-access-rights control explicitly requires least-privilege assignment and ongoing validation, directly mitigating CWE-266.
Information-access-restriction mechanisms enforce least-privilege checks that mitigate the weakness at runtime.
Access control policy directly prevents incorrect privilege assignment by defining who may receive which rights.
Segregation of duties reduces blast radius of any single incorrect privilege but does not prevent the assignment itself.
Restricting privileged utility programs limits exposure from over-privileged accounts but does not address how privileges are assigned.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248551 A sticky bit must be set on all OL 8 public directories to prevent unauthorized and unintended information transferred via shared system resources. prevents CWE-266
Oracle Linux 9 (3 rules)
- V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-274
- V-271640 OL 9 must be configured so that the Network File System (NFS) is configured to use RPCSEC_GSS. prevents CWE-274
- V-271779 OL 9 must be configured so that a sticky bit must be set on all public directories. prevents CWE-266
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
- V-230243 A sticky bit must be set on all RHEL 8 public directories to prevent unauthorized and unintended information transferred via shared system resources. prevents CWE-266
RHEL 9 (2 rules)
- V-257929 A sticky bit must be set on all RHEL 9 public directories. prevents CWE-266
- V-258078 RHEL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-274
Ubuntu 22.04 (2 rules)
- V-260513 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS must set a sticky bit on all public directories to prevent unauthorized and unintended information transferred via shared system resources. prevents CWE-266
- V-260559 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS must ensure only users who need access to security functions are part of sudo group. prevents CWE-266
Ubuntu 24.04 (2 rules)
- V-270748 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS must ensure only users who need access to security functions are part of sudo group. prevents CWE-266
- V-270750 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS must set a sticky bit on all public directories to prevent unauthorized and unintended information transferred via shared system resources. prevents CWE-266