Linux kernel eBPF bitwise ops ALU32 bounds tracking
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
The eBPF ALU32 bounds tracking for bitwise ops (AND, OR and XOR) in the Linux kernel did not properly update 32-bit bounds, which could be turned into out of bounds reads and writes in the Linux kernel and therefore, arbitrary code execution. This issue was fixed via commit 049c4e13714e ("bpf: Fix alu32 const subreg bound tracking on bitwise operations") (v5.13-rc4) and backported to the stable kernels in v5.12.4, v5.11.21, and v5.10.37. The AND/OR issues were introduced by commit 3f50f132d840 ("bpf: Verifier, do explicit ALU32 bounds tracking") (5.7-rc1) and the XOR variant was introduced by 2921c90d4718 ("bpf:Fix a verifier failure with xor") ( 5.10-rc1).
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux kernel | trunk to before v5.13-rc4; linux-5.12.y to before v5.12.4; linux-5.11.y to before v5.11.21; linux-5.10.y to before v5.10.37; v5.7-rc1 and later | v5.13-rc4, v5.12.4, v5.11.21, v5.10.37 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux kernel VendorLinux Affected trunk to before v5.13-rc4; linux-5.12.y to before v5.12.4; linux-5.11.y to before v5.11.21; linux-5.10.y to before v5.10.37; v5.7-rc1 and later Fixed in v5.13-rc4, v5.12.4, v5.11.21, v5.10.37 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 8
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.10 to before 5.10.37; 5.11 to before 5.11.21; 5.12 to before 5.12.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.13 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.13 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.13 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.13 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* | 20.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 20.10 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
| cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:21.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 21.04 | Vulnerable | Canonical |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.10 to before 5.10.37; 5.11 to before 5.11.21; 5.12 to before 5.12.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:*:*:*:lts:*:*:* Versions 20.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.10:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 20.10 Vulnerable ·Canonical
- cpe:2.3:o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:21.04:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 21.04 Vulnerable ·Canonical
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux kernel (Linux) Fixed in v5.13-rc4, v5.12.4, v5.11.21, v5.10.37
Fixed in the same release
Records fixed by the same vendor advisory or release, as the CNA lists them.
- Advisory ·
Linux kernel — ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4949-1
3 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 2 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-02450 Linux kernel io_uring PROVIDE_BUFFERS MAX_RW_COUNT bypassPriority LOW 39
- TI-2021-02448 Linux kernel eBPF RINGBUF map oversized allocationPriority LOW 35
- Advisory ·
Linux kernel — ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4950-1
3 records Highest priority Priority MEDIUM 1 MEDIUM, 2 LOW
Other records, highest priority first
- TI-2021-02450 Linux kernel io_uring PROVIDE_BUFFERS MAX_RW_COUNT bypassPriority LOW 39
- TI-2021-02448 Linux kernel eBPF RINGBUF map oversized allocationPriority LOW 35
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-3490
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-9wfm-q59x-qc3x
References
Patch 2
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2021-3490 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-3490 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-9wfm-q59x-qc3x · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-3490 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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