CVE-2021-47128

System hang via BPF-triggered SELinux audit deadlock

Published Mar 15, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Improper locking in the Linux kernel allows local users to hang affected systems through BPF tracing under SELinux lockdown. The selinux_lockdown hook audits security_locked_down calls from BPF helpers on their execution fast path, where slow_avc_audit can wake kauditd while the scheduler run-queue lock is already held and recursively acquire that lock. A user able to load an affected tracing program can trigger the deadlock or generate enough audit events for an out-of-memory kill; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper locking in the Linux kernel allows local users to hang affected systems through BPF tracing under SELinux lockdown. The selinux_lockdown hook audits security_locked_down calls from BPF helpers on their execution fast path, where slow_avc_audit can wake kauditd while the scheduler run-queue lock is already held and recursively acquire that lock. A user able to load an affected tracing program can trigger the deadlock or generate enough audit events for an out-of-memory kill; no confidentiality or integrity impact is reported.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-47128
Published
Mar 15, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-667, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 15, 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=5.6
  2. Affected versionversion=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <acc43fc6cf0d50612193813c5906a1ab9d433e1e
  3. Affected versionversion=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <ff40e51043af63715ab413995ff46996ecf9583f
  4. Affected versionversion=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <ff5039ec75c83d2ed5b781dc7733420ee8c985fc

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.6; version=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <acc43fc6cf0d50612193813c5906a1ab9d433e1e; version=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <ff40e51043af63715ab413995ff46996ecf9583f; version=59438b46471ae6cdfb761afc8c9beaf1e428a331 <ff5039ec75c83d2ed5b781dc7733420ee8c985fc

Published CVSS scores

5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.4Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/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.

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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-667Improper Locking
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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