CVE-2021-20194

System crash via raced negative optlen

Published Feb 23, 2021 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Heap overflow in Linux Kernel versions higher than 5.2 allows local users to crash the system through the BPF getsockopt hook. In __cgroup_bpf_run_filter_getsockopt(), a previously checked user optlen can race to a negative value before copy_from_user uses it, producing an oversized copy when hardened usercopy is absent. Exploitation requires local BPF execution, four enabled kernel options, disabled CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY, and a registered cgroup getsockopt hook; the record identifies privilege escalation as an additional possible consequence.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.40%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Heap overflow in Linux Kernel versions higher than 5.2 allows local users to crash the system through the BPF getsockopt hook. In __cgroup_bpf_run_filter_getsockopt(), a previously checked user optlen can race to a negative value before copy_from_user uses it, producing an oversized copy when hardened usercopy is absent. Exploitation requires local BPF execution, four enabled kernel options, disabled CONFIG_HARDENED_USERCOPY, and a registered cgroup getsockopt hook; the record identifies privilege escalation as an additional possible consequence.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-20194
Published
Feb 23, 2021
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-20, CWE-787, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 23, 2021CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 3, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=kernel 5.2 and higher.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=kernel 5.2 and higher.

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-20Improper Input Validation
CWE-787Out-of-bounds Write
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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