CVE-2021-47479

Kernel crash via rtl8712 firmware use-after-free

Published May 22, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux rtl8712 staging driver allows local users to crash the kernel by racing device removal with interface opening. r871xu_dev_remove releases firmware before unregistering the network device, allowing the ndo_open path in rtl8712_dl_fw to access freed firmware. Exploitation requires the rtl8712 driver and concurrent device removal and interface opening, with the demonstrated consequence bounded to a kernel crash.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.23%
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 rtl8712 staging driver allows local users to crash the kernel by racing device removal with interface opening. r871xu_dev_remove releases firmware before unregistering the network device, allowing the ndo_open path in rtl8712_dl_fw to access freed firmware. Exploitation requires the rtl8712 driver and concurrent device removal and interface opening, with the demonstrated consequence bounded to a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2021-47479
Published
May 22, 2024
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 22, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 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=3.2.6 <3.3
  2. Affected versionversion=3.3
  3. Affected versionversion=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <a65c9afe9f2f55b7a7fb4a25ab654cd4139683a4
  4. Affected versionversion=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <befd23bd3b17f1a3f9c943a8580b47444c7c63ed
  5. Affected versionversion=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <c052cc1a069c3e575619cf64ec427eb41176ca70
  6. Affected versionversion=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <c430094541a80575259a94ff879063ef01473506
  7. Affected versionversion=bc5d453eab4506cb52397db8830d1070904265a4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.2.6 <3.3; version=3.3; version=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <a65c9afe9f2f55b7a7fb4a25ab654cd4139683a4; version=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <befd23bd3b17f1a3f9c943a8580b47444c7c63ed; version=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <c052cc1a069c3e575619cf64ec427eb41176ca70; version=8c213fa59199f9673d66970d6940fa093186642f <c430094541a80575259a94ff879063ef01473506; version=bc5d453eab4506cb52397db8830d1070904265a4

Published CVSS scores

7.0OSVCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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