Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8 iommu_change_dev_def_domain null pointer dereference

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 4.9 | $0-$5k | 0.00 |
Summary
A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8. Affected by this issue is the function iommu_change_dev_def_domain. The manipulation leads to null pointer dereference.
This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2021-47140. There is no exploit available.
You should upgrade the affected component.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8 and classified as critical. This issue affects the function iommu_change_dev_def_domain. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. Impacted is availability. The summary by CVE is:
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iommu/amd: Clear DMA ops when switching domain Since commit 08a27c1c3ecf ("iommu: Add support to change default domain of an iommu group") a user can switch a device between IOMMU and direct DMA through sysfs. This doesn't work for AMD IOMMU at the moment because dev->dma_ops is not cleared when switching from a DMA to an identity IOMMU domain. The DMA layer thus attempts to use the dma-iommu ops on an identity domain, causing an oops: # echo 0000:00:05.0 > /sys/sys/bus/pci/drivers/e1000e/unbind # echo identity > /sys/bus/pci/devices/0000:00:05.0/iommu_group/type # echo 0000:00:05.0 > /sys/sys/bus/pci/drivers/e1000e/bind ... BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000028 ... Call Trace: iommu_dma_alloc e1000e_setup_tx_resources e1000e_open Since iommu_change_dev_def_domain() calls probe_finalize() again, clear the dma_ops there like Vt-d does.
It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2021-47140 since 03/04/2024. The exploitation is known to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.
Upgrading to version 5.12.9 or 5.13 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch f3f2cf46291a/d6177a6556f8 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.
The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2024-0699). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Affected
- Amazon Linux 2
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- Ubuntu Linux
- SUSE Linux
- Oracle Linux
- EMC Avamar
- Dell NetWorker
- Open Source Linux Kernel
- IBM Spectrum Protect Plus
Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔍VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.0VulDB Meta Temp Score: 4.9
VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CNA Base Score: 5.3
CNA Vector: 🔍
CVSSv2
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Null pointer dereferenceCWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍
Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes
Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined
EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍
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Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔍
Upgrade: Kernel 5.12.9/5.13
Patch: f3f2cf46291a/d6177a6556f8
Timeline
03/04/2024 🔍03/25/2024 🔍
03/25/2024 🔍
08/04/2025 🔍
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2021-47140 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2021-47140
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-257819
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2024-0699 - Linux-Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service und unspezifische Angriffe
Entry
Created: 03/25/2024 10:23Updated: 08/04/2025 04:55
Changes: 03/25/2024 10:23 (57), 11/07/2024 18:47 (13), 08/04/2025 04:55 (7)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
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