CVE-2021-47009

Local service interruption via leaked trusted-key object

Published Feb 28, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026

Memory leak in Linux trusted keys 5.10.20 through 5.10.37, 5.11.3 through 5.11.21, and 5.12 through 5.12.4 allows local users to exhaust memory. In security/keys/trusted-keys/trusted_tpm1.c, two failure branches return after allocating td without routing through the path that securely frees it. A low-privileged local user must reach those trusted-key error paths; repeated failures consume kernel memory and interrupt system availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in Linux trusted keys 5.10.20 through 5.10.37, 5.11.3 through 5.11.21, and 5.12 through 5.12.4 allows local users to exhaust memory. In security/keys/trusted-keys/trusted_tpm1.c, two failure branches return after allocating td without routing through the path that securely frees it. A low-privileged local user must reach those trusted-key error paths; repeated failures consume kernel memory and interrupt system availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-47009
Published
Feb 28, 2024
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=5.10.20 <5.10.38
  2. Affected versionversion=5.11.3 <5.11.22
  3. Affected versionversion=5.12
  4. Affected versionversion=5df16caada3fba3b21cb09b85cdedf99507f4ec1 <3e24fbd37e72e8a67b74991970fecc82d14f57af
  5. Affected versionversion=5df16caada3fba3b21cb09b85cdedf99507f4ec1 <83a775d5f9bfda95b1c295f95a3a041a40c7f321
  6. Affected versionversion=8cfc8d62942105e5df4a20a15b24da077a6b24ef <1c4031014106aff48e1e686e40101c31eab5d44c
  7. Affected versionversion=9d83cc1a1e7f494aedee2aa108e801d11525fccf <31c9a4b24d86cbb36ff0d7a085725a3b4f0138c8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.10.20 <5.10.38; version=5.11.3 <5.11.22; version=5.12; version=5df16caada3fba3b21cb09b85cdedf99507f4ec1 <3e24fbd37e72e8a67b74991970fecc82d14f57af; version=5df16caada3fba3b21cb09b85cdedf99507f4ec1 <83a775d5f9bfda95b1c295f95a3a041a40c7f321; version=8cfc8d62942105e5df4a20a15b24da077a6b24ef <1c4031014106aff48e1e686e40101c31eab5d44c; version=9d83cc1a1e7f494aedee2aa108e801d11525fccf <31c9a4b24d86cbb36ff0d7a085725a3b4f0138c8

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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 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-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

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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