Local kernel crash via DRM master-pointer race
Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel builds from 4.11 through 5.13-rc5 allows local users to crash the kernel via concurrent DRM ioctls. drm_getunique reads file_priv->master before acquiring dev->master_mutex, so drm_setmaster_ioctl can replace and free that master while the first thread still dereferences it. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access to a DRM device and winning the race; the demonstrated consequence is a KASAN-detected kernel memory read and resulting service interruption.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in affected Linux kernel builds from 4.11 through 5.13-rc5 allows local users to crash the kernel via concurrent DRM ioctls. drm_getunique reads file_priv->master before acquiring dev->master_mutex, so drm_setmaster_ioctl can replace and free that master while the first thread still dereferences it. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access to a DRM device and winning the race; the demonstrated consequence is a KASAN-detected kernel memory read and resulting service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47280
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, CWE-367, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.11
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <17dab9326ff263c62dab1dbac4492e2938a049e4
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <491d52e0078860b33b6c14f0a7ac74ca1b603bd6
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <7d233ba700ceb593905ea82b42dadb4ec8ef85e9
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <b246b4c70c1250e7814f409b243000f9c0bf79a3
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <b436acd1cf7fac0ba987abd22955d98025c80c2b
- Affected versionversion=5acc614ac47465fee6375a9af4740f618830762d <f773f8cccac13c7e7bbd9182e7996c727742488e
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Syzkaller drm_getunique reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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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