CVE-2021-47162

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tipc: skb_linearize the head skb when reassembling msgs It's not a good idea to append the frag skb to a skb's frag_list if the frag_list already has skbs from elsewhere, such as this skb was created by pskb_copy() where the frag_list was cloned (all the skbs in it were skb_get'ed) and shared by multiple skbs. However, the new appended frag skb should have been only seen by the current skb. Otherwise, it will cause use after free crashes as this appended frag skb are seen by multiple skbs but it only got skb_get called once. The same thing happens with a skb updated by pskb_may_pull() with a skb_cloned skb. Li Shuang has reported quite a few crashes caused by this when doing testing over macvlan devices: [] kernel BUG at net/core/skbuff.c:1970! [] Call Trace: [] skb_clone+0x4d/0xb0 [] macvlan_broadcast+0xd8/0x160 [macvlan] [] macvlan_process_broadcast+0x148/0x150 [macvlan] [] process_one_work+0x1a7/0x360 [] worker_thread+0x30/0x390 [] kernel BUG at mm/usercopy.c:102! [] Call Trace: [] __check_heap_object+0xd3/0x100 [] __check_object_size+0xff/0x16b [] simple_copy_to_iter+0x1c/0x30 [] __skb_datagram_iter+0x7d/0x310 [] __skb_datagram_iter+0x2a5/0x310 [] skb_copy_datagram_iter+0x3b/0x90 [] tipc_recvmsg+0x14a/0x3a0 [tipc] [] ____sys_recvmsg+0x91/0x150 [] ___sys_recvmsg+0x7b/0xc0 [] kernel BUG at mm/slub.c:305! [] Call Trace: [] <IRQ> [] kmem_cache_free+0x3ff/0x400 [] __netif_receive_skb_core+0x12c/0xc40 [] ? kmem_cache_alloc+0x12e/0x270 [] netif_receive_skb_internal+0x3d/0xb0 [] ? get_rx_page_info+0x8e/0xa0 [be2net] [] be_poll+0x6ef/0xd00 [be2net] [] ? irq_exit+0x4f/0x100 [] net_rx_action+0x149/0x3b0 ... This patch is to fix it by linearizing the head skb if it has frag_list set in tipc_buf_append(). Note that we choose to do this before calling skb_unshare(), as __skb_linearize() will avoid skb_copy(). Also, we can not just drop the frag_list either as the early time.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2024-03-25
Last modified 2025-03-13
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-416

CVE-2021-47162 is a Use After Free vulnerability

What is Use After Free?

The product references memory after it has been freed, which may cause it to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 4.1.14, 4.2.7, 4.3 and later are affected. Fixed in 4.4.271, 4.9.271, 4.14.235, 4.19.193, 5.4.124, 5.10.42, 5.12.9, 5.13 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 4.1.14 ≥ 4.2.7 ≥ 4.3
Fixed in
✓ 4.4.271 4.4.x ✓ 4.9.271 4.9.x ✓ 4.14.235 4.14.x ✓ 4.19.193 4.19.x ✓ 5.4.124 5.4.x ✓ 5.10.42 5.10.x ✓ 5.12.9 5.12.x ✓ 5.13

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2021-47162?

    CVE-2021-47162 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as an Use After Free flaw (CWE-416) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.1.14 onward and has been patched in 4.4.271, 4.9.271, 4.14.235 and others. CVE-2021-47162 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2021-47162?

    CVE-2021-47162 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2021-47162?

    Yes. CVE-2021-47162 has been patched. Fixed versions include 4.4.271, 4.9.271, 4.14.235 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.1.14 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2021-47162 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2021-47162 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.