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TI-2021-21880 Aliases CVE-2021-47221GHSA-3c4w-p6cr-wgq6

mm/slub: actually fix freelist pointer vs redzoning

Priority LOW 24CWE-763Published · Updated

Key facts

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

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/slub: actually fix freelist pointer vs redzoning It turns out that SLUB redzoning ("slub_debug=Z") checks from s->object_size rather than from s->inuse (which is normally bumped to make room for the freelist pointer), so a cache created with an object size less than 24 would have the freelist pointer written beyond s->object_size, causing the redzone to be corrupted by the freelist pointer. This was very visible with "slub_debug=ZF": BUG test (Tainted: G B ): Right Redzone overwritten ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- INFO: 0xffff957ead1c05de-0xffff957ead1c05df @offset=1502. First byte 0x1a instead of 0xbb INFO: Slab 0xffffef3950b47000 objects=170 used=170 fp=0x0000000000000000 flags=0x8000000000000200 INFO: Object 0xffff957ead1c05d8 @offset=1496 fp=0xffff957ead1c0620 Redzone (____ptrval____): bb bb bb bb bb bb bb bb ........ Object (____ptrval____): 00 00 00 00 00 f6 f4 a5 ........ Redzone (____ptrval____): 40 1d e8 1a aa @.... Padding (____ptrval____): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........ Adjust the offset to stay within s->object_size. (Note that no caches of in this size range are known to exist in the kernel currently.)

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00222 12th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 5.10.46, 5.12.13, 5.13Red Hat: 1 advisoryRed Hat: 2 fixed, 2 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
LinuxLinux5.7 and later5.10.46, 5.12.13, 5.13Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.7 and later Fixed in 5.10.46, 5.12.13, 5.13 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 7

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*5.7 to before 5.10.46; 5.11 to before 5.12.13VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*5.13 rc6VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.7 to before 5.10.46; 5.11 to before 5.12.13 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:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.13:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.13 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.46, 5.12.13, 5.13

Red Hat 1 advisory

  • RHSA-2023:2951 Released 2023-05-16 · Red Hat rating Important
    kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8, kernel-4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8 +19
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-477.10.1.el8_8

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

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

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8AffectedNo fix yet
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2023:2951
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2023:2951
Not affected: 2 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-47221
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-3c4w-p6cr-wgq6
  3. 2026-11-05 Affected versions changed · Red Hat

References

  • 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