Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2021-47272

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-21
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.44 / 5.12.11 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: usb: dwc3: gadget: Bail from dwc3_gadget_exit() if dwc->gadget is NULL There exists a possible scenario in which dwc3_gadget_init() can fail: during during host -> peripheral mode switch in dwc3_set_mode(), and a pending gadget driver fails to bind. Then, if the DRD undergoes another mode switch from peripheral->host the resulting dwc3_gadget_exit() will attempt to reference an invalid and dangling dwc->gadget pointer as well as call dma_free_coherent() on unmapped DMA pointers. The exact scenario can be reproduced as follows: - Start DWC3 in peripheral mode - Configure ConfigFS gadget with FunctionFS instance (or use g_ffs) - Run FunctionFS userspace application (open EPs, write descriptors, etc) - Bind gadget driver to DWC3's UDC - Switch DWC3 to host mode => dwc3_gadget_exit() is called. usb_del_gadget() will put the ConfigFS driver instance on the gadget_driver_pending_list - Stop FunctionFS application (closes the ep files) - Switch DWC3 to peripheral mode => dwc3_gadget_init() fails as usb_add_gadget() calls check_pending_gadget_drivers() and attempts to rebind the UDC to the ConfigFS gadget but fails with -19 (-ENODEV) because the FFS instance is not in FFS_ACTIVE state (userspace has not re-opened and written the descriptors yet, i.e. desc_ready!=0). - Switch DWC3 back to host mode => dwc3_gadget_exit() is called again, but this time dwc->gadget is invalid. Although it can be argued that userspace should take responsibility for ensuring that the FunctionFS application be ready prior to allowing the composite driver bind to the UDC, failure to do so should not result in a panic from the kernel driver. Fix this by setting dwc->gadget to NULL in the failure path of dwc3_gadget_init() and add a check to dwc3_gadget_exit() to bail out unless the gadget pointer is valid.

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

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

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:>= 5.10, < 5.10.44>= 5.11, < 5.12.11= 5.13

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 5.10.44 / 5.12.11 or later
Fixed in 5.10.445.12.11
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

5.10.44, 5.12.11, or 5.13.2 (or later stable releases)

  1. Upgrade Linux Kernel to version 5.10.44 or later if using the 5.10.x stable branch
  2. Upgrade Linux Kernel to version 5.12.11 or later if using the 5.12.x stable branch
  3. Upgrade Linux Kernel to version 5.13.2 or later if using the 5.13.x stable branch
  4. After upgrading, verify the fix by checking that dwc->gadget is properly set to NULL in the failure path of dwc3_gadget_init() and that dwc3_gadget_exit() checks for NULL before proceeding
Caveat Kernel upgrades may introduce regressions in other drivers or features; ensure compatibility with your hardware and software stack before deploying

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 $1,600. 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-2021-47272 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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