Kernel memory corruption via skipped shadow-page entries
Published Mar 4, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
A use-after-free in Linux KVM allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during TDP MMU teardown by destroying a virtual machine. After yielding, tdp_iter_next advances a restarted iterator, skips an unvisited top-level SPTE, and later marks an already freed page dirty or accessed. Affected releases are 5.10 through 5.15.11 and 5.16-rc1 through 5.16-rc6; KVM access is required, and outcomes include leaked shadow pages, warnings, or data corruption.
Summary
What happened
A use-after-free in Linux KVM allows local users to corrupt kernel memory during TDP MMU teardown by destroying a virtual machine. After yielding, tdp_iter_next advances a restarted iterator, skips an unvisited top-level SPTE, and later marks an already freed page dirty or accessed. Affected releases are 5.10 through 5.15.11 and 5.16-rc1 through 5.16-rc6; KVM access is required, and outcomes include leaked shadow pages, warnings, or data corruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47094
- Published
- Mar 4, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 4, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.10
- Affected versionversion=faaf05b00aecdb347ffd1d763d024394ec0329f8 <3a0f64de479cae75effb630a2e0a237ca0d0623c
- Affected versionversion=faaf05b00aecdb347ffd1d763d024394ec0329f8 <d884eefd75cc54887bc2e9e724207443525dfb2c
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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