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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2021-47217

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.19.218 / 5.4.162 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

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
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86/hyperv: Fix NULL deref in set_hv_tscchange_cb() if Hyper-V setup fails Check for a valid hv_vp_index array prior to derefencing hv_vp_index when setting Hyper-V's TSC change callback. If Hyper-V setup failed in hyperv_init(), the kernel will still report that it's running under Hyper-V, but will have silently disabled nearly all functionality. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000010 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP CPU: 4 PID: 1 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 5.15.0-rc2+ #75 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 0.0.0 02/06/2015 RIP: 0010:set_hv_tscchange_cb+0x15/0xa0 Code: <8b> 04 82 8b 15 12 17 85 01 48 c1 e0 20 48 0d ee 00 01 00 f6 c6 08 ... Call Trace: kvm_arch_init+0x17c/0x280 kvm_init+0x31/0x330 vmx_init+0xba/0x13a do_one_initcall+0x41/0x1c0 kernel_init_freeable+0x1f2/0x23b kernel_init+0x16/0x120 ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30

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
How this class of weakness works · CWE-476

The code follows a pointer that is null, crashing the process. An attacker who can reliably trigger it turns the crash into a denial of service. The fix is checking for null before use and handling the failure path gracefully.

General guidance for the null pointer dereference class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

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
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 4.16, < 4.19.218>= 4.20, < 5.4.162>= 5.5, < 5.10.82>= 5.11, < 5.15.5= 5.16

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.19.218 / 5.4.162 / 5.10.82 or later
Fixed in 4.19.2185.4.1625.10.82
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

4.19.218, 5.4.162, 5.10.82, or 5.15.5 (depending on your current branch)

  1. Upgrade the Linux kernel to one of the following fixed versions that contains the patch: 4.19.218, 5.4.162, 5.10.82, or 5.15.5
  2. After upgrading, verify the kernel boots successfully and the Hyper-V TSC change callback functions work correctly without NULL pointer dereference errors
Caveat Standard kernel upgrade considerations apply; ensure compatibility with existing system configuration and test in staging environment before production deployment

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

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $2,850. Get the upgrade done

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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-2021-47217 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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