Local kernel oops via unconditional driver unregistration
Published Mar 1, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Incorrect driver unregistration in Linux 4.15 through 5.13-rc2 allows local users to trigger a kernel oops when unloading dell_smbios. exit_dell_smbios_wmi() calls driver_unregister() even when init_dell_smbios_wmi() skipped registration because Dell WMI support was absent. Reaching the defect requires local permission to unload the module; the published result is an oops affecting availability, with no reported data access or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect driver unregistration in Linux 4.15 through 5.13-rc2 allows local users to trigger a kernel oops when unloading dell_smbios. exit_dell_smbios_wmi() calls driver_unregister() even when init_dell_smbios_wmi() skipped registration because Dell WMI support was absent. Reaching the defect requires local permission to unload the module; the published result is an oops affecting availability, with no reported data access or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47073
- Published
- Mar 1, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 1, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=1a258e670434f404a4500b65ba1afea2c2b29bba <0cf036a0d325200e6c27b90908e51195bbc557b1
- Affected versionversion=1a258e670434f404a4500b65ba1afea2c2b29bba <3a53587423d25c87af4b4126a806a0575104b45e
- Affected versionversion=1a258e670434f404a4500b65ba1afea2c2b29bba <6fa78a6b9a3beb676a010dc489c1257f7e432525
- Affected versionversion=1a258e670434f404a4500b65ba1afea2c2b29bba <75cfc833da4a2111106d4c134e93e0c7f41e35e7
- Affected versionversion=1a258e670434f404a4500b65ba1afea2c2b29bba <8d746ea7c687bab060a2c05a35c449302406cd52
- Affected versionversion=4.15
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo