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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2021-47462: mm/mempolicy: do not allow illegal MPOL_F_NUMA_BALANCING | MPOL_LOCAL in mbind()

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.18% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 6d2aec9e123bb9c49cb5c7fc654f25f81e688e8c, 9ee4e9ae98f1f262d6fae0d266cfdf3ba2c321d9.
  • Mentioned 1 time in Turkish national cyber security advisories (siberguvenlik.gov.tr).

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 6d2aec9e123bb9c49cb5c7fc654f25f81e688e8c, 9ee4e9ae98f1f262d6fae0d266cfdf3ba2c321d9 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/mempolicy: do not allow illegal MPOL_F_NUMA_BALANCING | MPOL_LOCAL in mbind() syzbot reported access to unitialized memory in mbind() [1] Issue came with commit bda420b98505 ("numa balancing: migrate on fault among multiple bound nodes") This commit added a new bit in MPOL_MODE_FLAGS, but only checked valid combination (MPOL_F_NUMA_BALANCING can only be used with MPOL_BIND) in do_set_mempolicy() This patch moves the check in sanitize_mpol_flags() so that it is also used by mbind() [1] BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in __mpol_equal+0x567/0x590 mm/mempolicy.c:2260 __mpol_equal+0x567/0x590 mm/mempolicy.c:2260 mpol_equal include/linux/mempolicy.h:105 [inline] vma_merge+0x4a1/0x1e60 mm/mmap.c:1190 mbind_range+0xcc8/0x1e80 mm/mempolicy.c:811 do_mbind+0xf42/0x15f0 mm/mempolicy.c:1333 kernel_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1483 [inline] __do_sys_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1490 [inline] __se_sys_mbind+0x437/0xb80 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 __x64_sys_mbind+0x19d/0x200 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:82 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae Uninit was created at: slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3221 [inline] slab_alloc mm/slub.c:3230 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc+0x751/0xff0 mm/slub.c:3235 mpol_new mm/mempolicy.c:293 [inline] do_mbind+0x912/0x15f0 mm/mempolicy.c:1289 kernel_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1483 [inline] __do_sys_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1490 [inline] __se_sys_mbind+0x437/0xb80 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 __x64_sys_mbind+0x19d/0x200 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:82 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae ===================================================== Kernel panic - not syncing: panic_on_kmsan set ... CPU: 0 PID: 15049 Comm: syz-executor.0 Tainted: G B 5.15.0-rc2-syzkaller #0 Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 01/01/2011 Call Trace: __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline] dump_stack_lvl+0x1ff/0x28e lib/dump_stack.c:106 dump_stack+0x25/0x28 lib/dump_stack.c:113 panic+0x44f/0xdeb kernel/panic.c:232 kmsan_report+0x2ee/0x300 mm/kmsan/report.c:186 __msan_warning+0xd7/0x150 mm/kmsan/instrumentation.c:208 __mpol_equal+0x567/0x590 mm/mempolicy.c:2260 mpol_equal include/linux/mempolicy.h:105 [inline] vma_merge+0x4a1/0x1e60 mm/mmap.c:1190 mbind_range+0xcc8/0x1e80 mm/mempolicy.c:811 do_mbind+0xf42/0x15f0 mm/mempolicy.c:1333 kernel_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1483 [inline] __do_sys_mbind mm/mempolicy.c:1490 [inline] __se_sys_mbind+0x437/0xb80 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 __x64_sys_mbind+0x19d/0x200 mm/mempolicy.c:1486 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:51 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x54/0xd0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:82 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available
Published
May 22, 2024
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 7th percentile

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

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When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
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  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel5.12 and later · before 5.14.15
  • linux linux kernel5.15

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 5.12affected
    • bda420b985054a3badafef23807c4b4fa38a3dff and later · before 9ee4e9ae98f1f262d6fae0d266cfdf3ba2c321d9affected · git
    • bda420b985054a3badafef23807c4b4fa38a3dff and later · before 6d2aec9e123bb9c49cb5c7fc654f25f81e688e8caffected · git
    • before 5.12not affected · semver
    • 5.14.15 and later · up to and including 5.14.*not affected · semver
    • 5.15 and laternot affected · original_commit_for_fix

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 5.14.16-15.14.16-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2021-47460May 22, 2024 · ocfs2: fix data corruption after conversion from inline format
    22Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2021-47461May 22, 2024 · userfaultfd: fix a race between writeprotect and exit_mmap()
    18Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2021-47463May 22, 2024 · mm/secretmem: fix NULL page->mapping dereference in page_is_secretmem()
    22Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux6d2aec9e123bb9c49cb5c7fc654f25f81e688e8cVendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9ee4e9ae98f1f262d6fae0d266cfdf3ba2c321d9Vendor (CNA)
debian:linux5.14.16-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

No history yet (it accumulates with the daily EPSS job).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

No commit or PR link among the references.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

No credits in the CNA record.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

  • CVE-2024-50302181 days apartHID: core: zero-initialize the report bufferKEV
    52Plan
  • CVE-2024-47685152 days apartnetfilter: nf_reject_ipv6: fix nf_reject_ip6_tcphdr_put()
    36Monitor
  • CVE-2021-475532 days apartsched/scs: Reset task stack state in bringup_cpu()
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2024-368988 days apartgpiolib: cdev: fix uninitialised kfifo
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2024-2702221 days apartfork: defer linking file vma until vma is fully initialized
    31Monitor
  • CVE-2024-50143169 days apartudf: fix uninit-value use in udf_get_fileshortad
    31Monitor

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

National notice (Türkiye Cybersecurity Directorate / USOM)

Official security notices citing this record; remediation advice is on the agency's page.

All national notices →

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-908 · Use of Uninitialized Resource

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

Change log

  1. Fix✗ → ✓

For records you follow, these changes also arrive as notifications. →

References

Show all references (1 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records