CVE-2021-46935

binder: fix async_free_space accounting for empty parcels

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: February 27, 2024 at 09:44 AM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 04:15 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: binder: fix async_free_space accounting for empty parcels In 4.13, commit 74310e06be4d ("android: binder: Move buffer out of area shared with user space") fixed a kernel structure visibility issue. As part of that patch, sizeof(void *) was used as the buffer size for 0-length data payloads so the driver could detect abusive clients sending 0-length asynchronous transactions to a server by enforcing limits on async_free_size. Unfortunately, on the "free" side, the accounting of async_free_space did not add the sizeof(void *) back. The result was that up to 8-bytes of async_free_space were leaked on every async transaction of 8-bytes or less. These small transactions are uncommon, so this accounting issue has gone undetected for several years. The fix is to use "buffer_size" (the allocated buffer size) instead of "size" (the logical buffer size) when updating the async_free_space during the free operation. These are the same except for this corner case of asynchronous transactions with payloads < 8 bytes.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

4.14 ≤ v < 4.14.2614.14 ≤ v < 4.19.2244.14 ≤ v < 5.10.904.14 ≤ v < 5.15.134.14 ≤ v < 5.164.14 ≤ v < 5.4.1704.14.0 ≤ v < 4.14.2614.15.0 ≤ v < 4.19.2244.20.0 ≤ v < 5.4.1705.11.0 ≤ v < 5.15.135.5.0 ≤ v < 5.10.904.1474310e06be4d74dcf67cd108366710dee5c576d5
Vendor states this is fixed in 103b16a8c51f96d5fe063022869ea906c256e5da (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 17691bada6b2f1d5f1c0f6d28cd9d0727023b0ff (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 1cb8444f3114f0bb2f6e3bcadcf09aa4a28425d4 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2d2df539d05205fd83c404d5f2dff48d36f9b495 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7c7064402609aeb6fb11be1b4ec10673ff17b593 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in cfd0d84ba28c18b531648c9d4a35ecca89ad9901 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14.261 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.224 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.90 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.13 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.16 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.170 (unaffected)

References (6)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/103b16a8c51f96d5fe063022869ea906c256e5da
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17691bada6b2f1d5f1c0f6d28cd9d0727023b0ff
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1cb8444f3114f0bb2f6e3bcadcf09aa4a28425d4
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d2df539d05205fd83c404d5f2dff48d36f9b495
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7c7064402609aeb6fb11be1b4ec10673ff17b593
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cfd0d84ba28c18b531648c9d4a35ecca89ad9901

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
NONE
Availability
NONE
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-668

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