CVE-2021-47141

System crash via NULL MSI-X vector dereference

Published Mar 25, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel gve driver allows local users to crash the system during driver unload after failed MSI-X setup. The gve_free_notification_blocks cleanup path indexes priv->msix_vectors even when earlier MSI-X allocation failed and left that pointer NULL. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, an MSI-X allocation failure, and driver unload; the documented consequence is an availability-only kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel gve driver allows local users to crash the system during driver unload after failed MSI-X setup. The gve_free_notification_blocks cleanup path indexes priv->msix_vectors even when earlier MSI-X allocation failed and left that pointer NULL. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, an MSI-X allocation failure, and driver unload; the documented consequence is an availability-only kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-47141
Published
Mar 25, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 25, 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=5.3
  2. Affected versionversion=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <5218e919c8d06279884aa0baf76778a6817d5b93
  3. Affected versionversion=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <5278c75266c5094d3c0958793bf12fc90300e580
  4. Affected versionversion=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <821149ee88c206fa37e79c1868cc270518484876
  5. Affected versionversion=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <da21a35c00ff1a1794d4f166d3b3fa8db4d0f6fb

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.3; version=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <5218e919c8d06279884aa0baf76778a6817d5b93; version=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <5278c75266c5094d3c0958793bf12fc90300e580; version=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <821149ee88c206fa37e79c1868cc270518484876; version=893ce44df56580fb878ca5af9c4a5fd87567da50 <da21a35c00ff1a1794d4f166d3b3fa8db4d0f6fb

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.

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No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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