CVE-2021-47301

Local crash via stale TX descriptor pointer

Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel igb driver allows local users to crash the system during a concurrent controller reset. The TX-ring cleanup path leaves next_to_watch pointing at a freed socket buffer, so igb_poll() can free the same buffer again while reset runs. Reachability requires the igb driver, applicable Intel Ethernet hardware, and the poll-reset race; the bounded observed consequence is invalid kernel memory access and a system crash.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.24%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel igb driver allows local users to crash the system during a concurrent controller reset. The TX-ring cleanup path leaves next_to_watch pointing at a freed socket buffer, so igb_poll() can free the same buffer again while reset runs. Reachability requires the igb driver, applicable Intel Ethernet hardware, and the poll-reset race; the bounded observed consequence is invalid kernel memory access and a system crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-47301
Published
May 21, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 21, 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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.12
  2. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <7b292608db23ccbbfbfa50cdb155d01725d7a52e
  3. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <88e0720133d42d34851c8721cf5f289a50a8710f
  4. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <8e24c12f2ff6d32fd9f057382f08e748ec97194c
  5. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <d3ccb18ed5ac3283c7b31ecc685b499e580d5492
  6. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <d7367f781e5a9ca5df9082b15b272b55e76931f8
  7. Affected versionversion=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <f153664d8e70c11d0371341613651e1130e20240

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.12; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <7b292608db23ccbbfbfa50cdb155d01725d7a52e; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <88e0720133d42d34851c8721cf5f289a50a8710f; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <8e24c12f2ff6d32fd9f057382f08e748ec97194c; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <d3ccb18ed5ac3283c7b31ecc685b499e580d5492; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <d7367f781e5a9ca5df9082b15b272b55e76931f8; version=7cc6fd4c60f267e17b0baef1580d7a6258c0a6f0 <f153664d8e70c11d0371341613651e1130e20240

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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-416Use After Free
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo