Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2021-47302

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-21

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.136 / 5.10.54 or later.

See remediation →

80/100

Remediation priority · High

Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: igc: Fix use-after-free error during reset Cleans the next descriptor to watch (next_to_watch) when cleaning the TX ring. Failure to do so can cause invalid memory accesses. If igc_poll() runs while the controller is being reset this can lead to the driver try to free a skb that was already freed. Log message: [ 101.525242] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [ 101.525251] WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 646 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xab/0xf0 [ 101.525259] Modules linked in: sch_etf(E) sch_mqprio(E) rfkill(E) intel_rapl_msr(E) intel_rapl_common(E) x86_pkg_temp_thermal(E) intel_powerclamp(E) coretemp(E) binfmt_misc(E) kvm_intel(E) kvm(E) irqbypass(E) crc32_pclmul(E) ghash_clmulni_intel(E) aesni_intel(E) mei_wdt(E) libaes(E) crypto_simd(E) cryptd(E) glue_helper(E) snd_hda_codec_hdmi(E) rapl(E) intel_cstate(E) snd_hda_intel(E) snd_intel_dspcfg(E) sg(E) soundwire_intel(E) intel_uncore(E) at24(E) soundwire_generic_allocation(E) iTCO_wdt(E) soundwire_cadence(E) intel_pmc_bxt(E) serio_raw(E) snd_hda_codec(E) iTCO_vendor_support(E) watchdog(E) snd_hda_core(E) snd_hwdep(E) snd_soc_core(E) snd_compress(E) snd_pcsp(E) soundwire_bus(E) snd_pcm(E) evdev(E) snd_timer(E) mei_me(E) snd(E) soundcore(E) mei(E) configfs(E) ip_tables(E) x_tables(E) autofs4(E) ext4(E) crc32c_generic(E) crc16(E) mbcache(E) jbd2(E) sd_mod(E) t10_pi(E) crc_t10dif(E) crct10dif_generic(E) i915(E) ahci(E) libahci(E) ehci_pci(E) igb(E) xhci_pci(E) ehci_hcd(E) [ 101.525303] drm_kms_helper(E) dca(E) xhci_hcd(E) libata(E) crct10dif_pclmul(E) cec(E) crct10dif_common(E) tsn(E) igc(E) e1000e(E) ptp(E) i2c_i801(E) crc32c_intel(E) psmouse(E) i2c_algo_bit(E) i2c_smbus(E) scsi_mod(E) lpc_ich(E) pps_core(E) usbcore(E) drm(E) button(E) video(E) [ 101.525318] CPU: 1 PID: 646 Comm: irq/37-enp7s0-T Tainted: G E 5.10.30-rt37-tsn1-rt-ipipe #ipipe [ 101.525320] Hardware name: SIEMENS AG SIMATIC IPC427D/A5E31233588, BIOS V17.02.09 03/31/2017 [ 101.525322] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xab/0xf0 [ 101.525325] Code: 05 31 48 44 01 01 e8 f0 c6 42 00 0f 0b c3 80 3d 1f 48 44 01 00 75 90 48 c7 c7 78 a8 f3 a6 c6 05 0f 48 44 01 01 e8 d1 c6 42 00 <0f> 0b c3 80 3d fe 47 44 01 00 0f 85 6d ff ff ff 48 c7 c7 d0 a8 f3 [ 101.525327] RSP: 0018:ffffbdedc0917cb8 EFLAGS: 00010286 [ 101.525329] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff98fd6becbf40 RCX: 0000000000000001 [ 101.525330] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: ffffffffa6f2700c RDI: 00000000ffffffff [ 101.525332] RBP: ffff98fd6becc14c R08: ffffffffa7463d00 R09: ffffbdedc0917c50 [ 101.525333] R10: ffffffffa74c3578 R11: 0000000000000034 R12: 00000000ffffff00 [ 101.525335] R13: ffff98fd6b0b1000 R14: 0000000000000039 R15: ffff98fd6be35c40 [ 101.525337] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff98fd6e240000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 101.525339] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 101.525341] CR2: 00007f34135a3a70 CR3: 0000000150210003 CR4: 00000000001706e0 [ 101.525343] Call Trace: [ 101.525346] sock_wfree+0x9c/0xa0 [ 101.525353] unix_destruct_scm+0x7b/0xa0 [ 101.525358] skb_release_head_state+0x40/0x90 [ 101.525362] skb_release_all+0xe/0x30 [ 101.525364] napi_consume_skb+0x57/0x160 [ 101.525367] igc_poll+0xb7/0xc80 [igc] [ 101.525376] ? sched_clock+0x5/0x10 [ 101.525381] ? sched_clock_cpu+0xe/0x100 [ 101.525385] net_rx_action+0x14c/0x410 [ 101.525388] __do_softirq+0xe9/0x2f4 [ 101.525391] __local_bh_enable_ip+0xe3/0x110 [ 101.525395] ? irq_finalize_oneshot.part.47+0xe0/0xe0 [ 101.525398] irq_forced_thread_fn+0x6a/0x80 [ 101.525401] irq_thread+0xe8/0x180 [ 101.525403] ? wake_threads_waitq+0x30/0x30 [ 101.525406] ? irq_thread_check_affinity+0xd0/0xd0 [ 101.525408] kthread+0x183/0x1a0 [ 101.525412] ? kthread_park+0x80/0x80 [ 101.525415] ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30

Technical summary

dbcve analysis

How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free 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

NVD · CPE data

Linux KernelOperating system

Affected:>= 4.20, < 5.4.136>= 5.5, < 5.10.54>= 5.11, < 5.13.6= 5.14

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

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

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.4.136 / 5.10.54 / 5.13.6 or later

Fixed in 5.4.1365.10.545.13.6

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel 5.4.136+ (5.4.x branch), 5.10.54+ (5.10.x branch), 5.13.6+ (5.11-5.13.x branch), or 5.14.1+ (5.14.x branch)

Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
Determine which kernel branch your current version belongs to (e.g., 5.4.x, 5.10.x, 5.11.x, or 5.14.x)
Upgrade the Linux kernel to a patched version: for 5.4.x branch use 5.4.136 or later, for 5.10.x branch use 5.10.54 or later, for 5.11.x/5.12.x/5.13.x branch use 5.13.6 or later, for 5.14.x branch use 5.14.1 or later
Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
Verify the fix is applied by checking that the igc driver no longer exhibits the use-after-free issue during reset operations

Caveat Kernel upgrades may require matching distribution-specific kernel packages; ensure distribution vendor provides patched kernel for your distribution or compile from upstream stable branch

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 $3,200. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-47302 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-47302 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2021-47302?

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

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 5.4.136 / 5.10.54 or later

Severity 7.8 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.2%

Affects: Linux Kernel

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Get a fix

Estimated effortfrom ~18 hrs

ComplexityComplex

Typical engagementfrom $3,200

What a fix involves

We scope it with you and confirm a fixed quote
A specialist builds a reviewed fix
You deploy it to staging first
Optional re-test once it’s live

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2021-47302 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Remediation

References