In drivers/char/virtio_console.c in the Linux kernel before 5.13.4, data corruption or…
Priority LOW 34CWE-120Published · Updated
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · 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-120 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In drivers/char/virtio_console.c in the Linux kernel before 5.13.4, data corruption or loss can be triggered by an untrusted device that supplies a buf->len value exceeding the buffer size. NOTE: the vendor indicates that the cited data corruption is not a vulnerability in any existing use case; the length validation was added solely for robustness in the face of anomalous host OS behavior
Why it matters now
EPSS 0.00411 35th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | all versions | — | No fix listed | CNA |
- — Vendor— Affected all versions Fixed in — No fix listed CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 10
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 2.6.24 to before 4.4.276; 4.5 to before 4.9.276; 4.10 to before 4.14.240; 4.15 to before 4.19.198; 4.20 to before 5.4.134; 5.5 to before 5.10.52; 5.11 to before 5.12.19; 5.13 to before 5.13.4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:netapp:hci_bootstrap_os:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Vulnerable | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:h:netapp:hci_compute_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:a:netapp:hci_management_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Vulnerable | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:a:netapp:solidfire:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Vulnerable | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:h:netapp:hci_storage_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:a:netapp:element_software:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Vulnerable | NetApp |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 9.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 10.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 8.0 | Vulnerable | Red Hat |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.24 to before 4.4.276; 4.5 to before 4.9.276; 4.10 to before 4.14.240; 4.15 to before 4.19.198; 4.20 to before 5.4.134; 5.5 to before 5.10.52; 5.11 to before 5.12.19; 5.13 to before 5.13.4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:netapp:hci_bootstrap_os:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Vulnerable ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:h:netapp:hci_compute_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:a:netapp:hci_management_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Vulnerable ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:a:netapp:solidfire:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Vulnerable ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:h:netapp:hci_storage_node:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:a:netapp:element_software:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Vulnerable ·NetApp
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:9.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 9.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:10.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 10.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 8.0 Vulnerable ·Red Hat
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Will not fix |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-38160
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-fjw9-4q3j-vpq4
References
Advisory 6
- https://cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.13.4
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/cve-2021-38160
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210902-0010/
- DSA-4978
- [debian-lts-announce] 20211015 [SECURITY] [DLA 2785-1] linux-4.19 security update
- [debian-lts-announce] 20211216 [SECURITY] [DLA 2843-1] linux security update
Sources
- CVE-2021-38160 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-38160 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-fjw9-4q3j-vpq4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-38160 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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