CVE-2021-47566

proc/vmcore: fix clearing user buffer by properly using clear_user()

HIGH
7.8
CVSS Score
Published: May 24, 2024 at 03:12 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 04:17 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

Using Linux by Linux?

Get instant alerts when new vulnerabilities affect Linux - before attackers find them.

Real-time alertsTrack your software stackFree plan available
Severity
HIGH7.8
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

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.

Affected

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

3.0 ≤ v < 4.14.2573.0 ≤ v < 4.19.2193.0 ≤ v < 4.4.2943.0 ≤ v < 4.9.2923.0 ≤ v < 5.10.833.0 ≤ v < 5.15.63.0 ≤ v < 5.163.0 ≤ v < 5.4.1634.10 ≤ v < 4.14.2574.15 ≤ v < 4.19.2194.20 ≤ v < 5.4.1634.5 ≤ v < 4.9.2925.11 ≤ v < 5.15.65.5 ≤ v < 5.10.833.05.16 rc1997c136f518c5debd63847e78e2a8694f56dcf90
Vendor states this is fixed in 33a7d698f30fa0b99d50569e9909d3baa65d8f6a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7b3a34f08d11e7f05cd00b8e09adaa15192f0ad1 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 99d348b82bcb36171f24411d3f1a15706a2a937a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9ef384ed300d1bcfb23d0ab0b487d544444d4b52 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in a8a917058faf4abaec9fb614bb6d5f8fe3529ec6 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in a9e164bd160be8cbee1df70acb379129e3cd2e7c (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in c1e63117711977cc4295b2ce73de29dd17066c82 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in fd7974c547abfb03072a4ee706d3a6f182266f89 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3.0 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.14.257 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.219 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.4.294 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.9.292 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.83 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.6 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.16 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.163 (unaffected)

References (8)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/33a7d698f30fa0b99d50569e9909d3baa65d8f6a
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b3a34f08d11e7f05cd00b8e09adaa15192f0ad1
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/99d348b82bcb36171f24411d3f1a15706a2a937a
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ef384ed300d1bcfb23d0ab0b487d544444d4b52
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8a917058faf4abaec9fb614bb6d5f8fe3529ec6
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a9e164bd160be8cbee1df70acb379129e3cd2e7c
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1e63117711977cc4295b2ce73de29dd17066c82
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd7974c547abfb03072a4ee706d3a6f182266f89

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
HIGH
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-787

Get alerted

Stop reading CVE feeds looking for your own stack

Track the products you run and VulnTracker tells you when a new CVE affects them — with what is known about fixing it, and nothing about the rest.

Free plan, no card