CVE-2021-46943

System crash via invalid IPU3 format state

Published Feb 27, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Resource exhaustion in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system through an invalid Intel IPU3 V4L2 format request. The imgu_fmt function stores the requested pixel format before imgu_css_fmt_try or imgu_css_fmt_set validates it and leaves invalid dimensions after an error. Access to an Intel IPU3 V4L2 device is required; later buffer allocation can request 4 GiB of RAM and trigger a kernel oops.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in the Linux kernel allows local users to crash the system through an invalid Intel IPU3 V4L2 format request. The imgu_fmt function stores the requested pixel format before imgu_css_fmt_try or imgu_css_fmt_set validates it and leaves invalid dimensions after an error. Access to an Intel IPU3 V4L2 device is required; later buffer allocation can request 4 GiB of RAM and trigger a kernel oops.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-46943
Published
Feb 27, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-131, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 27, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record 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=5.2
  2. Affected versionversion=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <34892ea938387d83ffcfb7775ec55f0f80767916
  3. Affected versionversion=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <6fb617e37a39db0a3eca4489431359d0bdf3b9bc
  4. Affected versionversion=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <a03fb1e8a110658215a4cefc3e2ad53279e496a6
  5. Affected versionversion=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <ad91849996f9dd79741a961fd03585a683b08356
  6. Affected versionversion=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <c6b81b897f6f9445d57f8d47c4e060ec21556137

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.2; version=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <34892ea938387d83ffcfb7775ec55f0f80767916; version=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <6fb617e37a39db0a3eca4489431359d0bdf3b9bc; version=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <a03fb1e8a110658215a4cefc3e2ad53279e496a6; version=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <ad91849996f9dd79741a961fd03585a683b08356; version=6d5f26f2e045f2377b524516194657c00efbbce8 <c6b81b897f6f9445d57f8d47c4e060ec21556137

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS: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.

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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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-131Incorrect Calculation of Buffer Size
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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