Sorafenib in Treating Patients With Recurrent or Progressive Malignant Glioma

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients must have histologically proven malignant glioma (anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma or glioblastoma multiforme) which is progressive or recurrent after radiation therapy ± chemotherapy; patients with previous low grade glioma who progressed after radiotherapy ± chemotherapy and are biopsied and found to have a high grade glioma are eligible * Patients must have measurable progressive or recurrent malignant glioma by MRI or CT imaging; (Within 14 days before starting treatment) * Patients must have recovered from toxicity of prior therapy; an interval of at least 3 months must have elapsed since the completion of the most recent course of radiation therapy, while at least 3 weeks must have elapsed since the completion of a non-nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen, and at least 6 weeks since the completion of a nitrosourea containing chemotherapy regimen * Patients must have a Karnofsky performance status \>= 60% (i.e. the patient must be able to care for himself/herself with occasional help from others) * Absolute Neutrophil Count \>= 1500/mm\^3 * Platelets \>= 100,000/mm\^3 * Creatinine =\< 1.7mg/dl * Total Bilirubin =\< 1.5mg/dl * Transaminases =\< 4 times above the upper limits of the institutional norm * PT, PTT, INR within institutional norm * Patients must be able to provide written informed consent * Patients with the potential for pregnancy or impregnating their partner must agree to follow acceptable birth control methods to avoid conception; women of childbearing potential must have a negative serum pregnancy test; (The anti-proliferative activity of this experimental drug may be harmful to the developing fetus or nursing infant) * Patients must have a Mini Mental State Exam score \>= 15 Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with serious concurrent infection or medical illness which would jeopardize the ability of the patient to receive the treatment outlined in this protocol with reasonable safety; (Examples of medical illnesses are \[but not limited to\] the following: uncontrolled hypertension, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situation that would limit compliance with study requirements) * Patients who are pregnant or breast-feeding; (The anti-proliferative activity of this experimental drug may be harmful to the developing fetus or nursing infant) * Patients who have received more than two prior treatments * Patients receiving concurrent therapy for their tumor (with the exception of steroids) * Patients with a concurrent malignancy are ineligible unless they are patients with curatively treated carcinoma-in-situ or basal cell carcinoma of the skin; patients with a prior malignancy are ineligible unless they have been free of disease for \>= five years * Patients must not have any evidence of bleeding diathesis * Patients must not be on therapeutic anticoagulation; prophylactic anticoagulation (i.e. low dose warfarin) of venous or arterial access devices is allowed provided that the requirements for PT, INR or PTT are met; (Patients will be taken off treatment if they require therapeutic anticoagulation during BAY 43-9006 treatment)