CVE-2021-46981

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nbd: Fix NULL pointer in flush_workqueue Open /dev/nbdX first, the config_refs will be 1 and the pointers in nbd_device are still null. Disconnect /dev/nbdX, then reference a null recv_workq. The protection by config_refs in nbd_genl_disconnect is useless. [ 656.366194] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000020 [ 656.368943] #PF: supervisor write access in kernel mode [ 656.369844] #PF: error_code(0x0002) - not-present page [ 656.370717] PGD 10cc87067 P4D 10cc87067 PUD 1074b4067 PMD 0 [ 656.371693] Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP [ 656.372242] CPU: 5 PID: 7977 Comm: nbd-client Not tainted 5.11.0-rc5-00040-g76c057c84d28 #1 [ 656.373661] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS ?-20190727_073836-buildvm-ppc64le-16.ppc.fedoraproject.org-3.fc31 04/01/2014 [ 656.375904] RIP: 0010:mutex_lock+0x29/0x60 [ 656.376627] Code: 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 55 48 89 fd 48 83 05 6f d7 fe 08 01 e8 7a c3 ff ff 48 83 05 6a d7 fe 08 01 31 c0 65 48 8b 14 25 00 6d 01 00 <f0> 48 0f b1 55 d [ 656.378934] RSP: 0018:ffffc900005eb9b0 EFLAGS: 00010246 [ 656.379350] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 656.379915] RDX: ffff888104cf2600 RSI: ffffffffaae8f452 RDI: 0000000000000020 [ 656.380473] RBP: 0000000000000020 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: ffff88813bd6b318 [ 656.381039] R10: 00000000000000c7 R11: fefefefefefefeff R12: ffff888102710b40 [ 656.381599] R13: ffffc900005eb9e0 R14: ffffffffb2930680 R15: ffff88810770ef00 [ 656.382166] FS: 00007fdf117ebb40(0000) GS:ffff88813bd40000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 656.382806] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 656.383261] CR2: 0000000000000020 CR3: 0000000100c84000 CR4: 00000000000006e0 [ 656.383819] DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000 [ 656.384370] DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400 [ 656.384927] Call Trace: [ 656.385111] flush_workqueue+0x92/0x6c0 [ 656.385395] nbd_disconnect_and_put+0x81/0xd0 [ 656.385716] nbd_genl_disconnect+0x125/0x2a0 [ 656.386034] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit.isra.0+0x102/0x1b0 [ 656.386422] genl_rcv_msg+0xfc/0x2b0 [ 656.386685] ? nbd_ioctl+0x490/0x490 [ 656.386954] ? genl_family_rcv_msg_doit.isra.0+0x1b0/0x1b0 [ 656.387354] netlink_rcv_skb+0x62/0x180 [ 656.387638] genl_rcv+0x34/0x60 [ 656.387874] netlink_unicast+0x26d/0x590 [ 656.388162] netlink_sendmsg+0x398/0x6c0 [ 656.388451] ? netlink_rcv_skb+0x180/0x180 [ 656.388750] ____sys_sendmsg+0x1da/0x320 [ 656.389038] ? ____sys_recvmsg+0x130/0x220 [ 656.389334] ___sys_sendmsg+0x8e/0xf0 [ 656.389605] ? ___sys_recvmsg+0xa2/0xf0 [ 656.389889] ? handle_mm_fault+0x1671/0x21d0 [ 656.390201] __sys_sendmsg+0x6d/0xe0 [ 656.390464] __x64_sys_sendmsg+0x23/0x30 [ 656.390751] do_syscall_64+0x45/0x70 [ 656.391017] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xa9 To fix it, just add if (nbd->recv_workq) to nbd_disconnect_and_put().

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2024-02-28 09:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-17 04:16 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 5.5 MEDIUM (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2024-02-28 09:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-17 04:16 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Weakness

CWE-476 · NULL pointer dereference

Record status

Analyzed

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 5.4.120
• Linux Kernel < 5.10.38
• Linux Kernel < 5.11.22
• Linux Kernel < 5.12.5
• Linux Kernel 5.13

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 5.5

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

None

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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