Boot-time kernel panic via missing valid FDT
Published Mar 15, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during RISC-V EFI boot without a valid FDT. Architecture setup continues FDT processing after efi_get_fdt_params finds no valid FDT, leaving initial_boot_params null for later dereference. Reachability requires the affected RISC-V EFI boot path and an absent or invalid FDT; the documented consequence is boot failure and service interruption.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to trigger a kernel panic during RISC-V EFI boot without a valid FDT. Architecture setup continues FDT processing after efi_get_fdt_params finds no valid FDT, leaving initial_boot_params null for later dereference. Reachability requires the affected RISC-V EFI boot path and an absent or invalid FDT; the documented consequence is boot failure and service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47134
- Published
- Mar 15, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 15, 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
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=5.10
- Affected versionversion=b91540d52a08b65eb6a2b09132e1bd54fa82754c <5148066edbdc89c6fe5bc419c31a5c22e5f83bdb
- Affected versionversion=b91540d52a08b65eb6a2b09132e1bd54fa82754c <668a84c1bfb2b3fd5a10847825a854d63fac7baa
- Affected versionversion=b91540d52a08b65eb6a2b09132e1bd54fa82754c <8a7e8b4e5631a03ea2fee27957857a56612108ca
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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
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