CVE-2021-47435

dm: fix mempool NULL pointer race when completing IO

Published May 22, 2024 CVSS 3.1 · 4.7 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

dm: fix mempool NULL pointer race when completing IO

dm_io_dec_pending() calls end_io_acct() first and will then dec md
in-flight pending count. But if a task is swapping DM table at same
time this can result in a crash due to mempool->elements being NULL:

task1 task2
do_resume
->do_suspend
->dm_wait_for_completion
bio_endio
->clone_endio
->dm_io_dec_pending
->end_io_acct
->wakeup task1
->dm_swap_table
->__bind
->__bind_mempools
->bioset_exit
->mempool_exit
->free_io

[ 67.330330] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at
virtual address 0000000000000000
......
[ 67.330494] pstate: 80400085 (Nzcv daIf +PAN -UAO)
[ 67.330510] pc : mempool_free+0x70/0xa0
[ 67.330515] lr : mempool_free+0x4c/0xa0
[ 67.330520] sp : ffffff8008013b20
[ 67.330524] x29: ffffff8008013b20 x28: 0000000000000004
[ 67.330530] x27: ffffffa8c2ff40a0 x26: 00000000ffff1cc8
[ 67.330535] x25: 0000000000000000 x24: ffffffdada34c800
[ 67.330541] x23: 0000000000000000 x22: ffffffdada34c800
[ 67.330547] x21: 00000000ffff1cc8 x20: ffffffd9a1304d80
[ 67.330552] x19: ffffffdada34c970 x18: 000000b312625d9c
[ 67.330558] x17: 00000000002dcfbf x16: 00000000000006dd
[ 67.330563] x15: 000000000093b41e x14: 0000000000000010
[ 67.330569] x13: 0000000000007f7a x12: 0000000034155555
[ 67.330574] x11: 0000000000000001 x10: 0000000000000001
[ 67.330579] x9 : 0000000000000000 x8 : 0000000000000000
[ 67.330585] x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : ffffff80148b5c1a
[ 67.330590] x5 : ffffff8008013ae0 x4 : 0000000000000001
[ 67.330596] x3 : ffffff80080139c8 x2 : ffffff801083bab8
[ 67.330601] x1 : 0000000000000000 x0 : ffffffdada34c970
[ 67.330609] Call trace:
[ 67.330616] mempool_free+0x70/0xa0
[ 67.330627] bio_put+0xf8/0x110
[ 67.330638] dec_pending+0x13c/0x230
[ 67.330644] clone_endio+0x90/0x180
[ 67.330649] bio_endio+0x198/0x1b8
[ 67.330655] dec_pending+0x190/0x230
[ 67.330660] clone_endio+0x90/0x180
[ 67.330665] bio_endio+0x198/0x1b8
[ 67.330673] blk_update_request+0x214/0x428
[ 67.330683] scsi_end_request+0x2c/0x300
[ 67.330688] scsi_io_completion+0xa0/0x710
[ 67.330695] scsi_finish_command+0xd8/0x110
[ 67.330700] scsi_softirq_done+0x114/0x148
[ 67.330708] blk_done_softirq+0x74/0xd0
[ 67.330716] __do_softirq+0x18c/0x374
[ 67.330724] irq_exit+0xb4/0xb8
[ 67.330732] __handle_domain_irq+0x84/0xc0
[ 67.330737] gic_handle_irq+0x148/0x1b0
[ 67.330744] el1_irq+0xe8/0x190
[ 67.330753] lpm_cpuidle_enter+0x4f8/0x538
[ 67.330759] cpuidle_enter_state+0x1fc/0x398
[ 67.330764] cpuidle_enter+0x18/0x20
[ 67.330772] do_idle+0x1b4/0x290
[ 67.330778] cpu_startup_entry+0x20/0x28
[ 67.330786] secondary_start_kernel+0x160/0x170

Fix this by:
1) Establishing pointers to 'struct dm_io' members in
dm_io_dec_pending() so that they may be passed into end_io_acct()
_after_ free_io() is called.
2) Moving end_io_acct() after free_io().

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories available
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.7, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat rhel Eus
CPEs cpe:/a:redhat:enterprise_linux:8::nfv
cpe:/o:redhat:enterprise_linux:8
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus:8.2
cpe:/o:redhat:rhel_eus:8.4
Vendors & Products Redhat
Redhat enterprise Linux
Redhat rhel Eus
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 1:54 PM
Reserved
May 21, 2024, 2:58 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
May 22, 2024, 7:15 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 4:17 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
May 22, 2024, 12:00 AM