CVE-2021-4154Public exploit

Local privilege escalation via cgroup parameter type confusion

Published Feb 4, 2022 · Updated Aug 3, 2024

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel before 5.14 rc2 allows local users to escalate privileges and break containers via crafted fsconfig parameters. The cgroup1_parse_param parser treats a union value as a string without checking its type, so a file descriptor supplied as the source parameter is mis-stored and later freed incorrectly. Exploitation requires local user access and can yield host privilege escalation, container breakout, or a denial of service.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability1.21%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in Linux Kernel before 5.14 rc2 allows local users to escalate privileges and break containers via crafted fsconfig parameters. The cgroup1_parse_param parser treats a union value as a string without checking its type, so a file descriptor supplied as the source parameter is mis-stored and later freed incorrectly. Exploitation requires local user access and can yield host privilege escalation, container breakout, or a denial of service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-4154
Published
Feb 4, 2022
Updated
Aug 3, 2024
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 4, 2022CVE 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=Fixed in kernel 5.14 rc2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=Fixed in kernel 5.14 rc2

Published CVSS scores

7.2NVDAV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:C/A:C
8.8Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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