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TI-2021-21770 Aliases CVE-2021-47107GHSA-2mfm-m7q3-xch8

NFSD: Fix READDIR buffer overflow

Priority MEDIUM 44CWE-120Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
None
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Code execution
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
High · High · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 2 fixed, 3 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-120 and the CVSS impact.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFSD: Fix READDIR buffer overflow If a client sends a READDIR count argument that is too small (say, zero), then the buffer size calculation in the new init_dirlist helper functions results in an underflow, allowing the XDR stream functions to write beyond the actual buffer. This calculation has always been suspect. NFSD has never sanity- checked the READDIR count argument, but the old entry encoders managed the problem correctly. With the commits below, entry encoding changed, exposing the underflow to the pointer arithmetic in xdr_reserve_space(). Modern NFS clients attempt to retrieve as much data as possible for each READDIR request. Also, we have no unit tests that exercise the behavior of READDIR at the lower bound of @count values. Thus this case was missed during testing.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00847 58th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Public exploit Yes 3 exploit referencesTagged by NVD
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.15.12, 5.16Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 2 fixed, 3 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux5.13 and later5.15.12, 5.16Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.13 and later Fixed in 5.15.12, 5.16 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 to before 5.15.12VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*5.16 rc6VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 to before 5.15.12 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.12, 5.16

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2022:7683 Released 2022-11-08 · Red Hat rating Moderate
    kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
    • Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-425.3.1.el8
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-425.3.1.el8, kernel-4.18.0-425.3.1.el8, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-425.3.1.el8 +19

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2022:7683
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2022:7683
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-47107
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2mfm-m7q3-xch8

References

Exploit 3

  • 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
See all 15278 →

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences