Out-of-bounds read in kernel
Priority LOW 20CWE-125Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- High
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Denial of service
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-125 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's implementation of string matching within a packet. A privileged user (with root or CAP_NET_ADMIN) when inserting iptables rules could insert a rule which can panic the system. Kernel before kernel 5.5-rc1 is affected.
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00283 20th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Will not fix Red Hat: no fix planned
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | kernel | kernel 5.5-rc1 | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- kernel Vendor— Affected kernel 5.5-rc1 Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise MRG 2
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-20177
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8hpj-w92q-gf6m
References
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-2021-20177 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-20177 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8hpj-w92q-gf6m · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-20177 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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