high CVSS 7.8

CVE-2021-47634·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubi: Fix race condition between ctrl_cdev_ioctl and ubi_cdev_ioctl Hulk Robot reported a KASAN report about use-after-free: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in __list_del_entry_valid+0x13d/0x160 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888035e37d98 by task ubiattach/1385 [...] Call Trace: klist_dec_and_del+0xa7/0x4a0 klist_put+0xc7/0x1a0 device_del+0x4d4/0xed0 cdev_device_del+0x1a/0x80 ubi_attach_mtd_dev+0x2951/0x34b0 [ubi] ctrl_cdev_ioctl+0x286/0x2f0 [ubi] Allocated by task 1414: device_add+0x60a/0x18b0 cdev_device_add+0x103/0x170 ubi_create_volume+0x1118/0x1a10 [ubi] ubi_cdev_ioctl+0xb7f/0x1ba0 [ubi] Freed by task 1385: cdev_device_del+0x1a/0x80 ubi_remove_volume+0x438/0x6c0 [ubi] ubi_cdev_ioctl+0xbf4/0x1ba0 [ubi] [...] ================================================================== The lock held by ctrl_cdev_ioctl is ubi_devices_mutex, but the lock held by ubi_cdev_ioctl is ubi->device_mutex. Therefore, the two locks can be concurrent. ctrl_cdev_ioctl contains two operations: ubi_attach and ubi_detach. ubi_detach is bug-free because it uses reference counting to prevent concurrency. However, uif_init and uif_close in ubi_attach may race with ubi_cdev_ioctl. uif_init will race with ubi_cdev_ioctl as in the following stack. cpu1 cpu2 cpu3 _______________________|________________________|______________________ ctrl_cdev_ioctl ubi_attach_mtd_dev uif_init ubi_cdev_ioctl ubi_create_volume cdev_device_add ubi_add_volume // sysfs exist kill_volumes ubi_cdev_ioctl ubi_remove_volume cdev_device_del // first free ubi_free_volume cdev_del // double free cdev_device_del And uif_close will race with ubi_cdev_ioctl as in the following stack. cpu1 cpu2 cpu3 _______________________|________________________|______________________ ctrl_cdev_ioctl ubi_attach_mtd_dev uif_init ubi_cdev_ioctl ubi_create_volume cdev_device_add ubi_debugfs_init_dev //error goto out_uif; uif_close kill_volumes ubi_cdev_ioctl ubi_remove_volume cdev_device_del // first free ubi_free_volume // double free The cause of this problem is that commit 714fb87e8bc0 make device "available" before it becomes accessible via sysfs. Therefore, we roll back the modification. We will fix the race condition between ubi device creation and udev by removing ubi_get_device in vol_attribute_show and dev_attribute_show.This avoids accessing uninitialized ubi_devices[ubi_num]. ubi_get_device is used to prevent devices from being deleted during sysfs execution. However, now kernfs ensures that devices will not be deleted before all reference counting are released. The key process is shown in the following stack. device_del device_remove_attrs device_remove_groups sysfs_remove_groups sysfs_remove_group remove_files kernfs_remove_by_name kernfs_remove_by_name_ns __kernfs_remove kernfs_drain

Severity
high
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
5.17.2
Published
2025-02-26

Affected versions

From: 5.17

Until: 5.17.2

Fixed in: 5.17.2

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 5.17.2 or later to resolve a critical race condition in the UBI (Unsorted Block Images) subsystem that can lead to use-after-free vulnerabilities. The vulnerability stems from insufficient synchronization between device attachment and volume management operations. Apply kernel updates immediately across all affected systems, particularly those using UBI for NAND flash storage management.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check your kernel version with `uname -r` and verify it is 5.17.0, 5.17.1, or 5.17.2. Versions 5.17.3+ are patched.
  2. Step 2: Verify UBI module is loaded by running `lsmod | grep ubi`. If output is empty, the system is not using UBI and the vulnerability impact is reduced.
  3. Step 3: Search system logs for UBI-related use-after-free errors with `dmesg | grep -i 'use-after-free\|ubi\|kasan'` or check `/var/log/kern.log` for KASAN warnings mentioning ubi_attach, ubi_create_volume, or cdev operations.
  4. Step 4: After patching, reboot the system with `sudo reboot` and verify the new kernel version is active with `uname -r`. Confirm it is 5.17.2 or later.

FAQ

What is CVE-2021-47634?

CVE-2021-47634 is a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's UBI (Unsorted Block Images) subsystem that allows concurrent operations to cause use-after-free memory errors. An unprivileged local attacker with device access can trigger the flaw through simultaneous volume creation and attachment operations, potentially leading to denial of service or privilege escalation.

Is CVE-2021-47634 being actively exploited?

No, CVE-2021-47634 is not listed on the CISA KEV catalog and no public exploit code is currently available. However, the vulnerability is trivial to trigger once UBI is in use and should be patched promptly.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2021-47634?

Linux kernel versions 5.17.0 through 5.17.2 are vulnerable. The fix was integrated starting with kernel 5.17.3. Versions prior to 5.17.0 and later versions after 5.17.2 are not affected.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2021-47634?

Run `uname -r` to check your kernel version. If the output shows 5.17.0, 5.17.1, or 5.17.2 AND UBI is loaded (verified with `lsmod | grep ubi`), your system is vulnerable and requires immediate patching.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2021-47634?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server running versions 5.17.0-5.17.2, CVE-2021-47634 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps and patch guidance.

Related Kernel CVEs

CVE-2026-64033CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rtrs: Fix use-after-free in path file creation cleanup In the error path of rtrs_srv_create_path_files(), the sysfs root folders may already have been created and srv_path->kobj may already have been initialized. If a later step fails, the cleanup currently calls kobject_put(&srv_path->kobj) before rtrs_srv_destroy_once_sysfs_root_folders(srv_path). kobject_put() may drop the last reference to srv_path->kobj and invoke the release callback, rtrs_srv_release(), which frees srv_path. The following call to rtrs_srv_destroy_once_sysfs_root_folders(srv_path) then dereferences srv_path internally to access srv_path->srv, resulting in a use-after-free. This failure path is reached before rtrs_srv_create_path_files() returns success, so the successful-path lifetime handling is not involved. Fix this by destroying the sysfs root folders before calling kobject_put(&srv_path->kobj), so srv_path is still valid while the helper accesses it. This issue was found by a static analysis tool I am developing.
CVE-2026-64037CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: iwlwifi: mld: fix TSO segmentation explosion when AMSDU is disabled When the TLC notification disables AMSDU for a TID, the MLD driver sets max_tid_amsdu_len to the sentinel value 1. The TSO segmentation path in iwl_mld_tx_tso_segment() checks for zero but not for this sentinel, allowing it to reach the num_subframes calculation: num_subframes = (max_tid_amsdu_len + pad) / (subf_len + pad) = (1 + 2) / (1534 + 2) = 0 This zero propagates to iwl_tx_tso_segment() which sets: gso_size = num_subframes * mss = 0 Calling skb_gso_segment() with gso_size=0 creates over 32000 tiny segments from a single GSO skb. This floods the TX ring with ~1024 micro-frames (the rest are purged), creating a massive burst of TX completion events that can lead to memory corruption and a subsequent use-after-free in TCP's retransmit queue (refcount underflow in tcp_shifted_skb, NULL deref in tcp_rack_detect_loss). The MVM driver is immune because it checks mvmsta->amsdu_enabled before reaching the num_subframes calculation. The MLD driver has no equivalent bitmap check and relies solely on max_tid_amsdu_len, which does not catch the sentinel value. Fix this by detecting the sentinel value (max_tid_amsdu_len == 1) at the existing check and falling back to non-AMSDU TSO segmentation. Also add a WARN_ON_ONCE guard after the num_subframes division as defense-in-depth to catch any future code paths that produce zero through a different mechanism.
CVE-2026-100075CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/srpt: Fix srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() unwind counters When srpt_alloc_rw_ctxs() fails partway through a multi-buffer indirect descriptor, the unwind path destroys RDMA contexts but leaves stale n_rw_ctx and n_rdma values (and a dangling rw_ctxs pointer). Later sq_wr_avail accounting in srpt_queue_response() or srpt_write_pending() can then subtract the wrong number of send queue credits. Reset the counters and clear rw_ctxs after freeing the heap allocation before returning an error.
CVE-2026-64035CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: igc: set tx buffer type for SMD frames Sashiko pointed out that igc_fpe_init_smd_frame() initializes igc_tx_buffer fields for an SMD skb, but does not set the buffer type: https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20260415025226.114115-1-kohei%40enjuk.jp Since igc_tx_buffer entries are reused, a stale XDP or XSK type can remain and make TX completion use the wrong cleanup path. Set the buffer type to IGC_TX_BUFFER_TYPE_SKB.
CVE-2026-64007CVSS 9.8In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: netfilter: synproxy: refresh tcphdr after skb_ensure_writable synproxy_tstamp_adjust() rewrites the TCP timestamp option in place and then patches the TCP checksum via inet_proto_csum_replace4() on the caller-supplied tcphdr pointer. Both ipv4_synproxy_hook() and ipv6_synproxy_hook() obtain that pointer with skb_header_pointer() before calling in, so it may either alias skb->head directly or point at the caller's on-stack _tcph buffer. Between obtaining the pointer and using it, the function calls skb_ensure_writable(skb, optend), which on a cloned or non-linear skb invokes pskb_expand_head() and frees the old skb->head. After that point the cached th is stale: caller (ipv[46]_synproxy_hook) th = skb_header_pointer(skb, ..., &_tcph) synproxy_tstamp_adjust(skb, protoff, th, ...) skb_ensure_writable(skb, optend) pskb_expand_head() /* kfree(old skb->head) */ ... inet_proto_csum_replace4(&th->check, ...) /* writes into freed head, or into the caller's stack copy leaving the on-wire checksum stale */ The option bytes are written through skb->data and are fine; only the checksum update goes through th and so lands in the wrong place. The result is either a write into freed slab memory or a packet leaving with a checksum that does not match its payload. Fix by re-deriving th from skb->data + protoff immediately after skb_ensure_writable() succeeds, so the subsequent checksum update targets the linear, writable header.

References

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