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Debian LinuxOperating system · Debian

CVE-2021-44142

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-02-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
The Samba vfs_fruit module uses extended file attributes (EA, xattr) to provide "...enhanced compatibility with Apple SMB clients and interoperability with a Netatalk 3 AFP fileserver." Samba versions prior to 4.13.17, 4.14.12 and 4.15.5 with vfs_fruit configured allow out-of-bounds heap read and write via specially crafted extended file attributes. A remote attacker with write access to extended file attributes can execute arbitrary code with the privileges of smbd, typically root.

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 · high confidence

The vfs_fruit module in Samba versions prior to 4.13.17, 4.14.12, and 4.15.5 contains an out-of-bounds heap read/write vulnerability when processing specially crafted extended file attributes (xattr/EA). A remote attacker with write access to extended attributes can achieve arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the smbd process, which typically runs as root.

MitigationUpgrade Samba to version 4.13.17, 4.14.12, 4.15.5 or later. If vfs_fruit is not required, disable the module in smb.conf.

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
Debian LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 10.0= 11.0
Ubuntu LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 14.04= 16.04= 18.04= 20.04= 21.10
FedoraOperating system
Affected:= 34= 35
Codeready Linux BuilderApplication
Affected:all versions
Gluster StorageApplication
Affected:= 3.5
Virtualization HostApplication
Affected:= 4.0
Enterprise LinuxOperating system
Affected:= 7.0= 8.0
Enterprise Linux DesktopOperating system
Affected:= 7.0

CVSS 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
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Samba version
    Run 'smbd -V' or 'samba -V' to retrieve the installed Samba version
    Affected if The version is prior to 4.13.17, 4.14.12, or 4.15.5
  2. Locate smb.conf configuration file
    Find the smb.conf file (typically in /etc/samba/smb.conf or /etc/smb.conf)
    Affected if File exists and contains Samba configuration
  3. Verify vfs_fruit module is enabled
    Search the smb.conf file for 'vfs_fruit' in the 'vfs objects' or 'vfs services' parameter within any share definition
    Affected if The vfs_fruit module is listed in the VFS objects configuration for any share
  4. Confirm vulnerable configuration state
    If vfs_fruit is enabled and the Samba version is prior to 4.13.17, 4.14.12, or 4.15.5, the system is vulnerable
    Affected if Both conditions are true: vulnerable version AND vfs_fruit module is actively loaded

A system is affected if it runs a Samba version prior to 4.13.17/4.14.12/4.15.5 AND has the vfs_fruit module enabled in smb.conf for any share.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade Samba to version 4.13.17, 4.14.12, 4.15.5 or later. If vfs_fruit is not required, disable the module in smb.conf.

Recommended fix High confidence

Samba 4.13.17, 4.14.12, or 4.15.5 (or later stable release)

  1. Identify the currently installed Samba version using 'smbstatus --version' or 'rpm -q samba'
  2. Upgrade Samba to version 4.13.17, 4.14.12, or 4.15.5 (or later) using the distribution's package manager (apt-get, yum, dnf, etc.)
  3. After upgrading, restart the smbd service using 'systemctl restart smbd' (or the appropriate service command for your distribution)
  4. Verify the new Samba version is installed: 'smbstatus --version'
  5. Confirm the vfs_fruit module configuration in smb.conf if still needed, or remove vfs_fruit from share configurations if not required
Caveat Upgrading Samba may require minor configuration adjustments; ensure backups of smb.conf exist before upgrade. The vfs_fruit module provides Apple SMB compatibility, so disabling it may affect Mac client compatibility.

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Debian Linux Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-44142 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data