Kernel crash via cfs_rq teardown race
Published Apr 10, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in Linux 5.13 through 5.15.4 allows local users to crash the kernel by racing CPU task-group teardown. unregister_fair_sched_group() can be interrupted before a dying task group is unlinked, letting sched_cfs_period_timer() re-add its cfs_rq objects before free_fair_sched_group() releases them. Reaching the race requires low-privilege local access to manipulate CPU cgroups; subsequent scheduler list traversal can trigger an access violation or kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in Linux 5.13 through 5.15.4 allows local users to crash the kernel by racing CPU task-group teardown. unregister_fair_sched_group() can be interrupted before a dying task group is unlinked, letting sched_cfs_period_timer() re-add its cfs_rq objects before free_fair_sched_group() releases them. Reaching the race requires low-privilege local access to manipulate CPU cgroups; subsequent scheduler list traversal can trigger an access violation or kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47209
- Published
- Apr 10, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 10, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.13
- Affected versionversion=a7b359fc6a37faaf472125867c8dc5a068c90982 <512e21c150c1c3ee298852660f3a796e267e62ec
- Affected versionversion=a7b359fc6a37faaf472125867c8dc5a068c90982 <b027789e5e50494c2325cc70c8642e7fd6059479
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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