proc/vmcore: fix clearing user buffer by properly using clear_user()
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
- Partial Red Hat: 5 fixed, 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-787 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: proc/vmcore: fix clearing user buffer by properly using clear_user() To clear a user buffer we cannot simply use memset, we have to use clear_user(). With a virtio-mem device that registers a vmcore_cb and has some logically unplugged memory inside an added Linux memory block, I can easily trigger a BUG by copying the vmcore via "cp": systemd[1]: Starting Kdump Vmcore Save Service... kdump[420]: Kdump is using the default log level(3). kdump[453]: saving to /sysroot/var/crash/127.0.0.1-2021-11-11-14:59:22/ kdump[458]: saving vmcore-dmesg.txt to /sysroot/var/crash/127.0.0.1-2021-11-11-14:59:22/ kdump[465]: saving vmcore-dmesg.txt complete kdump[467]: saving vmcore BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: 00007f2374e01000 #PF: supervisor write access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0003) - permissions violation PGD 7a523067 P4D 7a523067 PUD 7a528067 PMD 7a525067 PTE 800000007048f867 Oops: 0003 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI CPU: 0 PID: 468 Comm: cp Not tainted 5.15.0+ #6 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.14.0-27-g64f37cc530f1-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:read_from_oldmem.part.0.cold+0x1d/0x86 Code: ff ff ff e8 05 ff fe ff e9 b9 e9 7f ff 48 89 de 48 c7 c7 38 3b 60 82 e8 f1 fe fe ff 83 fd 08 72 3c 49 8d 7d 08 4c 89 e9 89 e8 <49> c7 45 00 00 00 00 00 49 c7 44 05 f8 00 00 00 00 48 83 e7 f81 RSP: 0018:ffffc9000073be08 EFLAGS: 00010212 RAX: 0000000000001000 RBX: 00000000002fd000 RCX: 00007f2374e01000 RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: 00000000ffffdfff RDI: 00007f2374e01008 RBP: 0000000000001000 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffffc9000073bc50 R10: ffffc9000073bc48 R11: ffffffff829461a8 R12: 000000000000f000 R13: 00007f2374e01000 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffff88807bd421e8 FS: 00007f2374e12140(0000) GS:ffff88807f000000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007f2374e01000 CR3: 000000007a4aa000 CR4: 0000000000350eb0 Call Trace: read_vmcore+0x236/0x2c0 proc_reg_read+0x55/0xa0 vfs_read+0x95/0x190 ksys_read+0x4f/0xc0 do_syscall_64+0x3b/0x90 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae Some x86-64 CPUs have a CPU feature called "Supervisor Mode Access Prevention (SMAP)", which is used to detect wrong access from the kernel to user buffers like this: SMAP triggers a permissions violation on wrong access. In the x86-64 variant of clear_user(), SMAP is properly handled via clac()+stac(). To fix, properly use clear_user() when we're dealing with a user buffer.
Why it matters now
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3.0 and later | 4.4.294, 4.9.292, 4.14.257, 4.19.219, 5.4.163, 5.10.83, 5.15.6, 5.16 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 3.0 and later Fixed in 4.4.294, 4.9.292, 4.14.257, 4.19.219, 5.4.163, 5.10.83, 5.15.6, 5.16 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 2
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.0 to before 4.4.294; 4.5 to before 4.9.292; 4.10 to before 4.14.257; 4.15 to before 4.19.219; 4.20 to before 5.4.163; 5.5 to before 5.10.83; 5.11 to before 5.15.6 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.0 to before 4.4.294; 4.5 to before 4.9.292; 4.10 to before 4.14.257; 4.15 to before 4.19.219; 4.20 to before 5.4.163; 5.5 to before 5.10.83; 5.11 to before 5.15.6 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.4.294, 4.9.292, 4.14.257, 4.19.219, 5.4.163, 5.10.83, 5.15.6, 5.16
Red Hat 2 advisories
- RHSA-2024:6993 Released 2024-09-24 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.8.8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-477.74.1.el8_8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.8) bpftool-4.18.0-477.74.1.el8_8, kernel-4.18.0-477.74.1.el8_8, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-477.74.1.el8_8 +19
- RHSA-2024:5281 Released 2024-08-13 · Red Hat rating Importantkernel security update
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.6) bpftool-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6 +14
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v.8.6) bpftool-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6 +19
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v.8.6) bpftool-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-372.118.1.el8_6 +14
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| 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: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat CodeReady Linux Builder EUS (v.8.8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:6993 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5281 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5281 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS EUS (v.8.8) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:6993 |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v.8.6) | Fixed | RHSA-2024:5281 |
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS AUS (v.8.6)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS E4S (v.8.6)
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS TUS (v.8.6)
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-47566
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Patch 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9e164bd160be8cbee1df70acb379129e3cd2e7c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/33a7d698f30fa0b99d50569e9909d3baa65d8f6a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99d348b82bcb36171f24411d3f1a15706a2a937a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ef384ed300d1bcfb23d0ab0b487d544444d4b52
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd7974c547abfb03072a4ee706d3a6f182266f89
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8a917058faf4abaec9fb614bb6d5f8fe3529ec6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b3a34f08d11e7f05cd00b8e09adaa15192f0ad1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1e63117711977cc4295b2ce73de29dd17066c82
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- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2021-47566 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-47566 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2021-47566 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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