Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2021-47338

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

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4.134 / 5.10.52 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: fbmem: Do not delete the mode that is still in use The execution of fb_delete_videomode() is not based on the result of the previous fbcon_mode_deleted(). As a result, the mode is directly deleted, regardless of whether it is still in use, which may cause UAF. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in fb_mode_is_equal+0x36e/0x5e0 \ drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:924 Read of size 4 at addr ffff88807e0ddb1c by task syz-executor.0/18962 CPU: 2 PID: 18962 Comm: syz-executor.0 Not tainted 5.10.45-rc1+ #3 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS ... Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:77 [inline] dump_stack+0x137/0x1be lib/dump_stack.c:118 print_address_description+0x6c/0x640 mm/kasan/report.c:385 __kasan_report mm/kasan/report.c:545 [inline] kasan_report+0x13d/0x1e0 mm/kasan/report.c:562 fb_mode_is_equal+0x36e/0x5e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:924 fbcon_mode_deleted+0x16a/0x220 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbcon.c:2746 fb_set_var+0x1e1/0xdb0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:975 do_fb_ioctl+0x4d9/0x6e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1108 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl+0xfb/0x170 fs/ioctl.c:739 do_syscall_64+0x2d/0x70 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xa9 Freed by task 18960: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:48 [inline] kasan_set_track+0x3d/0x70 mm/kasan/common.c:56 kasan_set_free_info+0x17/0x30 mm/kasan/generic.c:355 __kasan_slab_free+0x108/0x140 mm/kasan/common.c:422 slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:1541 [inline] slab_free_freelist_hook+0xd6/0x1a0 mm/slub.c:1574 slab_free mm/slub.c:3139 [inline] kfree+0xca/0x3d0 mm/slub.c:4121 fb_delete_videomode+0x56a/0x820 drivers/video/fbdev/core/modedb.c:1104 fb_set_var+0x1f3/0xdb0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:978 do_fb_ioctl+0x4d9/0x6e0 drivers/video/fbdev/core/fbmem.c:1108 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl+0xfb/0x170 fs/ioctl.c:739 do_syscall_64+0x2d/0x70 arch/x86/entry/common.c:46 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xa9

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:>= 5.3, < 5.4.134>= 5.5, < 5.10.52>= 5.11, < 5.12.19>= 5.13, < 5.13.4= 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 5.4.134 / 5.10.52 / 5.12.19 or later

Fixed in 5.4.1345.10.525.12.19

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

5.4.134+ or 5.10.52+ or 5.12.19+ or 5.13.4+ (any kernel version meeting or exceeding these stable releases)

Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 5.4.134 or later for the 5.4.x stable branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 5.10.52 or later for the 5.10.x stable branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 5.12.19 or later for the 5.12.x stable branch
Alternatively, upgrade to version 5.13.4 or later for the 5.13.x stable branch
After upgrading, reboot the system to load the patched kernel

Caveat Kernel upgrades may require recompiling out-of-tree kernel modules; ensure compatible drivers are available before rebooting

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-2021-47338 — 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-2021-47338 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2021-47338?

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 5.4.134 / 5.10.52 or later

Severity 7.8 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.3%

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-2021-47338 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