Kernel stack disclosure via dangling tty name
Published May 21, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Information disclosure in the ipoctal tty driver in Linux 3.5 and later before branch-specific fixes allows local users to read kernel stack data. The driver registers a name pointer to a stack-local tty_name buffer, then later prints the dangling C string through /proc/tty/drivers after that storage is reused. Exploitation requires the IP-OCTAL driver to probe and an unprivileged local user to read the proc entry; disclosure can expose kernel pointers or trigger a kernel oops.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in the ipoctal tty driver in Linux 3.5 and later before branch-specific fixes allows local users to read kernel stack data. The driver registers a name pointer to a stack-local tty_name buffer, then later prints the dangling C string through /proc/tty/drivers after that storage is reused. Exploitation requires the IP-OCTAL driver to probe and an unprivileged local user to read the proc entry; disclosure can expose kernel pointers or trigger a kernel oops.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47401
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 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=3.5
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <0a9c36a2e06a249acbed64e8e0b84637c2ad7575
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <2725925982dc96a78069cd118ea3d66759bfdad7
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <5f6a309a699675680df15d9b6d389114515b4426
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <741ea2670e021350e54f491106bdaa22dc50e6a0
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <829f13d6079cf7a2465522f39acb43033e9b320d
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <8657158a3b68c85234e6da3d8eae33d6183588b7
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <a89936cce87d60766a75732a9e7e25c51164f47c
- Affected versionversion=ba4dc61fe8c545a5d6a68b63616776556b771f51 <acb96e782bad427ca4bb1bd94af660acd1462380
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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