CVE-2021-34386
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedTrusty TLK contains a vulnerability in the NVIDIA TLK kernel where an integer overflow in the calloc size calculation can cause the multiplication of count and size can overflow, which might lead to heap overflows.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceInteger overflow vulnerability in NVIDIA Trusty TLK kernel's calloc size calculation where the multiplication of count and size can overflow, resulting in allocation of a smaller buffer than intended and potentially leading to heap overflows.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 32.5.1CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Jetson Linux is in useCheck system for NVIDIA Jetson platform by examining /proc/device-tree/model or running 'cat /proc/cpuinfo' to identify Jetson hardware. Alternatively, check /etc/nv_tegra_release for Jetson-specific files.Affected if System is not an NVIDIA Jetson device running Jetson Linux (the vulnerability only affects Jetson Linux, not general NVIDIA GPUs)
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Determine Jetson Linux versionRead the Jetson Linux version from /etc/nv_tegra_release (first line contains version like 'R32', 'R34' etc.) or use 'dpkg -l | grep -i nvidia' to list installed NVIDIA packages with versions.Affected if Version number is less than 32.5.1 (for example, R32.5, R32.4, R32.3, etc.)
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Verify Trusty TLK is enabledCheck if Trusty TLK trusted execution environment is active on the device. This can be done by examining /proc/keys or checking for trusty-related processes/services via 'ps aux | grep -i trusty'. Trusty TLK status may also be visible in /sys/firmware/tee or via tegrastats output.Affected if Trusty TLK is present and running on the device (the vulnerability exists in Trusty TLK kernel's calloc implementation)
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Identify vulnerable calloc usageThis is a kernel-level vulnerability in Trusty TLK's memory allocation. The flaw is in the multiplication of count and size parameters in calloc. From the host, you cannot directly inspect Trusty TLK internal allocations. Detection relies on version checking (step 2) combined with confirmation that Trusty is active (step 3).Affected if Running Jetson Linux version < 32.5.1 with Trusty TLK enabled - the integer overflow in calloc size calculation is present in the Trusty TLK kernel code
A user is affected if they are running NVIDIA Jetson Linux with a version prior to 32.5.1 and have Trusty TLK trusted execution environment enabled, as the integer overflow vulnerability exists in Trusty TLK's calloc implementation.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data32.5.1
Apply NVIDIA's security update for Trusty TLK which should include proper integer overflow validation in memory allocation size calculations; affected devices will require firmware update.
- Consultation6.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing12.0 h
- Review / QA6.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-34386 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-34386 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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