CVE-2021-47106·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: nf_tables: fix use-after-free in nft_set_catchall_destroy() We need to use list_for_each_entry_safe() iterator because we can not access @catchall after kfree_rcu() call. syzbot reported: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in nft_set_catchall_destroy net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4486 [inline] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in nft_set_destroy net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4504 [inline] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in nft_set_destroy+0x3fd/0x4f0 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4493 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8880716e5b80 by task syz-executor.3/8871 CPU: 1 PID: 8871 Comm: syz-executor.3 Not tainted 5.16.0-rc5-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011 Call Trace: <TASK> __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0xcd/0x134 lib/dump_stack.c:106 print_address_description.constprop.0.cold+0x8d/0x2ed mm/kasan/report.c:247 __kasan_report mm/kasan/report.c:433 [inline] kasan_report.cold+0x83/0xdf mm/kasan/report.c:450 nft_set_catchall_destroy net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4486 [inline] nft_set_destroy net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4504 [inline] nft_set_destroy+0x3fd/0x4f0 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:4493 __nft_release_table+0x79f/0xcd0 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:9626 nft_rcv_nl_event+0x4f8/0x670 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:9688 notifier_call_chain+0xb5/0x200 kernel/notifier.c:83 blocking_notifier_call_chain kernel/notifier.c:318 [inline] blocking_notifier_call_chain+0x67/0x90 kernel/notifier.c:306 netlink_release+0xcb6/0x1dd0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:788 __sock_release+0xcd/0x280 net/socket.c:649 sock_close+0x18/0x20 net/socket.c:1314 __fput+0x286/0x9f0 fs/file_table.c:280 task_work_run+0xdd/0x1a0 kernel/task_work.c:164 tracehook_notify_resume include/linux/tracehook.h:189 [inline] exit_to_user_mode_loop kernel/entry/common.c:175 [inline] exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0x27e/0x290 kernel/entry/common.c:207 __syscall_exit_to_user_mode_work kernel/entry/common.c:289 [inline] syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x19/0x60 kernel/entry/common.c:300 do_syscall_64+0x42/0xb0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:86 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae RIP: 0033:0x7f75fbf28adb Code: 0f 05 48 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 45 c3 0f 1f 40 00 48 83 ec 18 89 7c 24 0c e8 63 fc ff ff 8b 7c 24 0c 41 89 c0 b8 03 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 35 44 89 c7 89 44 24 0c e8 a1 fc ff ff 8b 44 RSP: 002b:00007ffd8da7ec10 EFLAGS: 00000293 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000003 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000004 RCX: 00007f75fbf28adb RDX: 00007f75fc08e828 RSI: ffffffffffffffff RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: 00007f75fc08a960 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 00007f75fc08e830 R10: 00007ffd8da7ed10 R11: 0000000000000293 R12: 00000000002067c3 R13: 00007ffd8da7ed10 R14: 00007f75fc088f60 R15: 0000000000000032 </TASK> Allocated by task 8886: kasan_save_stack+0x1e/0x50 mm/kasan/common.c:38 kasan_set_track mm/kasan/common.c:46 [inline] set_alloc_info mm/kasan/common.c:434 [inline] ____kasan_kmalloc mm/kasan/common.c:513 [inline] ____kasan_kmalloc mm/kasan/common.c:472 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0xa6/0xd0 mm/kasan/common.c:522 kasan_kmalloc include/linux/kasan.h:269 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x1ea/0x4a0 mm/slab.c:3575 kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:590 [inline] nft_setelem_catchall_insert net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:5544 [inline] nft_setelem_insert net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:5562 [inline] nft_add_set_elem+0x232e/0x2f40 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:5936 nf_tables_newsetelem+0x6ff/0xbb0 net/netfilter/nf_tables_api.c:6032 nfnetlink_rcv_batch+0x1710/0x25f0 net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c:513 nfnetlink_rcv_skb_batch net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c:634 [inline] nfnetlink_rcv+0x3af/0x420 net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c:652 netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1319 [inline] netlink_unicast+0x533/0x7d0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1345 netlink_sendmsg+0x904/0xdf0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1921 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/ ---truncated---
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 5.15.12
- Published
How likely is exploitation
FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 3% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.
Read the two together. CVE-2021-47106 scores 7.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.
Affected versions
From: 5.13
Until: 5.15.12
Fixed in: 5.15.12
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 5.15.12 or later to resolve a use-after-free vulnerability in the netfilter subsystem that could allow local privilege escalation. This flaw affects kernel versions 5.13 through 5.15.11 and requires immediate patching to prevent potential kernel crashes or privilege escalation by unprivileged local users.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-develDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Check your current kernel version by running: uname -r
- Verify if you are running a vulnerable version (5.13.x through 5.15.11) by comparing against the fixed version 5.15.12
- Search system logs for netfilter-related crashes: grep -i 'use-after-free\|kasan\|nft_set' /var/log/kern.log /var/log/dmesg
- After applying the update, reboot and confirm the new kernel is active: uname -r (should show 5.15.12 or later)
FAQ
What is CVE-2021-47106?
CVE-2021-47106 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netfilter nf_tables subsystem. When destroying catchall rules, the code accessed memory after it had been freed, potentially allowing local attackers to crash the kernel or escalate privileges.
Is CVE-2021-47106 being actively exploited?
No, this vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog and no public exploits are currently available.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2021-47106?
Linux kernel versions 5.13.0 through 5.15.11 are affected. Version 5.15.12 and later contain the fix.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2021-47106?
Run 'uname -r' to display your kernel version. If it shows 5.13.x, 5.14.x, or 5.15.x up to 5.15.11, your system is vulnerable.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2021-47106?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2021-47106 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
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