CVE-2021-47546

ipv6: fix memory leak in fib6_rule_suppress

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: May 24, 2024 at 03:09 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 04:17 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: ipv6: fix memory leak in fib6_rule_suppress The kernel leaks memory when a `fib` rule is present in IPv6 nftables firewall rules and a suppress_prefix rule is present in the IPv6 routing rules (used by certain tools such as wg-quick). In such scenarios, every incoming packet will leak an allocation in `ip6_dst_cache` slab cache. After some hours of `bpftrace`-ing and source code reading, I tracked down the issue to ca7a03c41753 ("ipv6: do not free rt if FIB_LOOKUP_NOREF is set on suppress rule"). The problem with that change is that the generic `args->flags` always have `FIB_LOOKUP_NOREF` set[1][2] but the IPv6-specific flag `RT6_LOOKUP_F_DST_NOREF` might not be, leading to `fib6_rule_suppress` not decreasing the refcount when needed. How to reproduce: - Add the following nftables rule to a prerouting chain: meta nfproto ipv6 fib saddr . mark . iif oif missing drop This can be done with: sudo nft create table inet test sudo nft create chain inet test test_chain '{ type filter hook prerouting priority filter + 10; policy accept; }' sudo nft add rule inet test test_chain meta nfproto ipv6 fib saddr . mark . iif oif missing drop - Run: sudo ip -6 rule add table main suppress_prefixlength 0 - Watch `sudo slabtop -o | grep ip6_dst_cache` to see memory usage increase with every incoming ipv6 packet. This patch exposes the protocol-specific flags to the protocol specific `suppress` function, and check the protocol-specific `flags` argument for RT6_LOOKUP_F_DST_NOREF instead of the generic FIB_LOOKUP_NOREF when decreasing the refcount, like this. [1]: https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/ca7a03c4175366a92cee0ccc4fec0038c3266e26/net/ipv6/fib6_rules.c#L71 [2]: https://github.com/torvalds/linux/blob/ca7a03c4175366a92cee0ccc4fec0038c3266e26/net/ipv6/fib6_rules.c#L99

Affected

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

v ≥ 5.2.19v ≥ 5.3.45.11 ≤ v < 5.15.75.2.19 ≤ v < 5.35.3.4 ≤ v < 5.45.4 ≤ v < 5.10.845.4 ≤ v < 5.15.75.4 ≤ v < 5.165.4 ≤ v < 5.4.1645.5 ≤ v < 5.10.845.2.195.3.45.4ca7a03c4175366a92cee0ccc4fec0038c3266e26d37c966752043733eb847dd897d6e3405084c559ecc265624956ea784cb2bd2b31a95bd54c4f5f13
Vendor states this is fixed in 209d35ee34e25f9668c404350a1c86d914c54ffa (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8ef8a76a340ebdb2c2eea3f6fb0ebbed09a16383 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in cdef485217d30382f3bf6448c54b4401648fe3f1 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in ee38eb8cf9a7323884c2b8e0adbbeb2192d31e29 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.84 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.7 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.16 (unaffected)
Affected range stops below 5.3, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.164 (unaffected)

References (4)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/209d35ee34e25f9668c404350a1c86d914c54ffa
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ef8a76a340ebdb2c2eea3f6fb0ebbed09a16383
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdef485217d30382f3bf6448c54b4401648fe3f1
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee38eb8cf9a7323884c2b8e0adbbeb2192d31e29

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
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-401

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