CVE-2021-47531

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/msm: Fix mmap to include VM_IO and VM_DONTDUMP In commit 510410bfc034 ("drm/msm: Implement mmap as GEM object function") we switched to a new/cleaner method of doing things. That's good, but we missed a little bit. Before that commit, we used to _first_ run through the drm_gem_mmap_obj() case where `obj->funcs->mmap()` was NULL. That meant that we ran: vma->vm_flags |= VM_IO | VM_PFNMAP | VM_DONTEXPAND | VM_DONTDUMP; vma->vm_page_prot = pgprot_writecombine(vm_get_page_prot(vma->vm_flags)); vma->vm_page_prot = pgprot_decrypted(vma->vm_page_prot); ...and _then_ we modified those mappings with our own. Now that `obj->funcs->mmap()` is no longer NULL we don't run the default code. It looks like the fact that the vm_flags got VM_IO / VM_DONTDUMP was important because we're now getting crashes on Chromebooks that use ARC++ while logging out. Specifically a crash that looks like this (this is on a 5.10 kernel w/ relevant backports but also seen on a 5.15 kernel): Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address ffffffc008000000 Mem abort info: ESR = 0x96000006 EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits SET = 0, FnV = 0 EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 Data abort info: ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000006 CM = 0, WnR = 0 swapper pgtable: 4k pages, 39-bit VAs, pgdp=000000008293d000 [ffffffc008000000] pgd=00000001002b3003, p4d=00000001002b3003, pud=00000001002b3003, pmd=0000000000000000 Internal error: Oops: 96000006 [#1] PREEMPT SMP [...] CPU: 7 PID: 15734 Comm: crash_dump64 Tainted: G W 5.10.67 #1 [...] Hardware name: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. sc7280 IDP SKU2 platform (DT) pstate: 80400009 (Nzcv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO BTYPE=--) pc : __arch_copy_to_user+0xc0/0x30c lr : copyout+0xac/0x14c [...] Call trace: __arch_copy_to_user+0xc0/0x30c copy_page_to_iter+0x1a0/0x294 process_vm_rw_core+0x240/0x408 process_vm_rw+0x110/0x16c __arm64_sys_process_vm_readv+0x30/0x3c el0_svc_common+0xf8/0x250 do_el0_svc+0x30/0x80 el0_svc+0x10/0x1c el0_sync_handler+0x78/0x108 el0_sync+0x184/0x1c0 Code: f8408423 f80008c3 910020c6 36100082 (b8404423) Let's add the two flags back in. While we're at it, the fact that we aren't running the default means that we _don't_ need to clear out VM_PFNMAP, so remove that and save an instruction. NOTE: it was confirmed that VM_IO was the important flag to fix the problem I was seeing, but adding back VM_DONTDUMP seems like a sane thing to do so I'm doing that too.

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. 2024-05-24 15:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-06-17 04:17 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

2024-05-24 15:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-06-17 04:17 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Record status

Analyzed

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 5.15.7
• Linux Kernel 5.16

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?

Hand this to your coding agent. It searches your project for the affected products and checks versions. Nothing leaves your machine.

Read https://cve-list.com/agent/cve/CVE-2021-47531.md and follow it. Check whether this project is affected by CVE-2021-47531. Read only. Don't change anything and don't upload my code. Tell me yes, no or not sure, with the file as proof.

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