CVE-2021-47341: Vulnerability in Linux Linux

Severity: highType: vulnerabilityCVE-2021-47341

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: mmio: Fix use-after-free Read in kvm_vm_ioctl_unregister_coalesced_mmio BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in kvm_vm_ioctl_unregister_coalesced_mmio+0x7c/0x1ec arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c:183 Read of size 8 at addr ffff0000c03a2500 by task syz-executor083/4269 CPU: 5 PID: 4269 Comm: syz-executor083 Not tainted 5.10.0 #7 Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) Call trace: dump_backtrace+0x0/0x2d0 arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c:132 show_stack+0x28/0x34 arch/arm64/kernel/stacktrace.c:196 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:77 [inline] dump_stack+0x110/0x164 lib/dump_stack.c:118 print_address_description+0x78/0x5c8 mm/kasan/report.c:385 __kasan_report mm/kasan/report.c:545 [inline] kasan_report+0x148/0x1e4 mm/kasan/report.c:562 check_memory_region_inline mm/kasan/generic.c:183 [inline] __asan_load8+0xb4/0xbc mm/kasan/generic.c:252 kvm_vm_ioctl_unregister_coalesced_mmio+0x7c/0x1ec arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c:183 kvm_vm_ioctl+0xe30/0x14c4 arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:3755 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline] __arm64_sys_ioctl+0xf88/0x131c fs/ioctl.c:739 __invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:36 [inline] invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:48 [inline] el0_svc_common arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:158 [inline] do_el0_svc+0x120/0x290 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:220 el0_svc+0x1c/0x28 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:367 el0_sync_handler+0x98/0x170 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:383 el0_sync+0x140/0x180 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:670 Allocated by task 4269: stack_trace_save+0x80/0xb8 kernel/stacktrace.c:121 kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:48 [inline] kasan_set_track mm/kasan/common.c:56 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0xdc/0x120 mm/kasan/common.c:461 kasan_kmalloc+0xc/0x14 mm/kasan/common.c:475 kmem_cache_alloc_trace include/linux/slab.h:450 [inline] kmalloc include/linux/slab.h:552 [inline] kzalloc include/linux/slab.h:664 [inline] kvm_vm_ioctl_register_coalesced_mmio+0x78/0x1cc arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c:146 kvm_vm_ioctl+0x7e8/0x14c4 arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:3746 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline] __arm64_sys_ioctl+0xf88/0x131c fs/ioctl.c:739 __invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:36 [inline] invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:48 [inline] el0_svc_common arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:158 [inline] do_el0_svc+0x120/0x290 arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:220 el0_svc+0x1c/0x28 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:367 el0_sync_handler+0x98/0x170 arch/arm64/kernel/entry-common.c:383 el0_sync+0x140/0x180 arch/arm64/kernel/entry.S:670 Freed by task 4269: stack_trace_save+0x80/0xb8 kernel/stacktrace.c:121 kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:48 [inline] kasan_set_track+0x38/0x6c mm/kasan/common.c:56 kasan_set_free_info+0x20/0x40 mm/kasan/generic.c:355 __kasan_slab_free+0x124/0x150 mm/kasan/common.c:422 kasan_slab_free+0x10/0x1c mm/kasan/common.c:431 slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:1544 [inline] slab_free_freelist_hook mm/slub.c:1577 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:3142 [inline] kfree+0x104/0x38c mm/slub.c:4124 coalesced_mmio_destructor+0x94/0xa4 arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c:102 kvm_iodevice_destructor include/kvm/iodev.h:61 [inline] kvm_io_bus_unregister_dev+0x248/0x280 arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:4374 kvm_vm_ioctl_unregister_coalesced_mmio+0x158/0x1ec arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/coalesced_mmio.c:186 kvm_vm_ioctl+0xe30/0x14c4 arch/arm64/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:3755 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:48 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:753 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:739 [inline] __arm64_sys_ioctl+0xf88/0x131c fs/ioctl.c:739 __invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/syscall.c:36 [inline] invoke_syscall arch/arm64/kernel/sys ---truncated---

AI Analysis

Technical Summary

CVE-2021-47341 is a use-after-free vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) subsystem, specifically within the coalesced MMIO (Memory-Mapped I/O) handling code on the ARM64 architecture. The vulnerability occurs in the function kvm_vm_ioctl_unregister_coalesced_mmio, where a previously freed memory object is accessed, leading to a use-after-free condition. This flaw is detected by KASAN (Kernel Address Sanitizer), which reports a read of size 8 at an invalid address after the memory was freed. The vulnerability arises due to improper management of the lifecycle of coalesced MMIO devices, where the destructor frees memory but subsequent code attempts to read from the freed memory region. The detailed kernel stack traces indicate that the issue is triggered during ioctl system calls related to KVM VM operations. The vulnerability affects multiple Linux kernel versions as indicated by the affected commit hashes. Although no public exploits are currently known, the flaw could potentially be leveraged by a local attacker with privileges to interact with KVM ioctl interfaces to cause memory corruption, leading to kernel crashes or escalation of privileges. The vulnerability is specific to ARM64 platforms running KVM and involves complex kernel memory management and virtualization subsystems.

Potential Impact

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2021-47341 can be significant, especially for those relying on ARM64-based Linux servers or virtualized environments using KVM. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code in kernel space, leading to full system compromise, privilege escalation, or denial of service through kernel panics. This is particularly critical for cloud service providers, telecom operators, and enterprises running ARM64 infrastructure or embedded systems. The vulnerability undermines the integrity and availability of virtualized workloads, potentially affecting sensitive data confidentiality and operational continuity. Given the increasing adoption of ARM64 servers in Europe for energy efficiency and performance, the threat surface is expanding. Furthermore, organizations involved in critical infrastructure or government sectors using Linux virtualization may face heightened risk due to the strategic importance of their systems and the potential for targeted attacks exploiting this vulnerability.

Mitigation Recommendations

To mitigate CVE-2021-47341, European organizations should: 1) Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that address this specific use-after-free vulnerability in the KVM coalesced MMIO code. Since no patch links are provided, organizations should track official Linux kernel repositories and distributions for updates. 2) Restrict access to KVM ioctl interfaces to trusted users only, enforcing strict access controls and minimizing the attack surface. 3) Employ kernel hardening features such as KASAN and other memory safety tools in development and testing environments to detect similar issues early. 4) Monitor kernel logs and audit ioctl calls related to KVM for anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 5) For ARM64 deployments, consider additional isolation mechanisms such as SELinux or AppArmor policies tailored to limit the impact of kernel-level vulnerabilities. 6) Engage with Linux distribution vendors to ensure timely updates and verify that ARM64 kernel builds include the necessary fixes. 7) In virtualized environments, implement layered security controls including hypervisor-level monitoring and network segmentation to contain potential compromises.