CVE-2021-47555

net: vlan: fix underflow for the real_dev refcnt

Published May 24, 2024 CVSS 3.1 · 7.8 High EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: vlan: fix underflow for the real_dev refcnt

Inject error before dev_hold(real_dev) in register_vlan_dev(),
and execute the following testcase:

ip link add dev dummy1 type dummy
ip link add name dummy1.100 link dummy1 type vlan id 100
ip link del dev dummy1

When the dummy netdevice is removed, we will get a WARNING as following:

=======================================================================
refcount_t: decrement hit 0; leaking memory.
WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 0 at lib/refcount.c:31 refcount_warn_saturate+0xbf/0x1e0

and an endless loop of:

=======================================================================
unregister_netdevice: waiting for dummy1 to become free. Usage count = -1073741824

That is because dev_put(real_dev) in vlan_dev_free() be called without
dev_hold(real_dev) in register_vlan_dev(). It makes the refcnt of real_dev
underflow.

Move the dev_hold(real_dev) to vlan_dev_init() which is the call-back of
ndo_init(). That makes dev_hold() and dev_put() for vlan's real_dev
symmetrical.

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
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-191
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

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

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-911
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': 4.4, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L'}

Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Aug 5, 2026, 8:48 AM
Reserved
May 24, 2024, 3:02 PM
Status
Modified
Published
May 24, 2024, 3:15 PM
Modified
Aug 4, 2026, 10:17 AM
Severity
Low
Public date
May 24, 2024, 12:00 AM