Local privilege escalation via qdisc double destruction
Published Jun 19, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel sch_cake qdisc allows local users to execute code in kernel context through qdisc creation. In cake_init(), allocation failure calls cake_destroy() even though the qdisc core also destroys the partially initialized object, freeing tcf_block state twice. A local user with low privileges can reach the netlink path through a user and network namespace; exploitation can disclose kernel memory, corrupt kernel state, or panic the host.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel sch_cake qdisc allows local users to execute code in kernel context through qdisc creation. In cake_init(), allocation failure calls cake_destroy() even though the qdisc core also destroys the partially initialized object, freeing tcf_block state twice. A local user with low privileges can reach the netlink path through a user and network namespace; exploitation can disclose kernel memory, corrupt kernel state, or panic the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2021-47598
- Published
- Jun 19, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 19, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <0d80462fbdcafd536dcad7569e65d3d14a7e9f2f
- Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <20ad1ef02f9ad5e1dda9eeb113e4c158b4806986
- Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <4e388232e630ebe4f94b4a0715ec98c0e2b314a3
- Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <ab443c53916730862cec202078d36fd4008bea79
- Affected versionversion=046f6fd5daefac7f5abdafb436b30f63bc7c602b <f6deae2e2d83bd267e1986f5d71d8c458e18fd99
- Affected versionversion=4.19
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
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Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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