Linux Kernel up to 5.14.14 kernel/workqueue.c stack-based overflow

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.14.14. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file kernel/workqueue.c. This manipulation causes stack-based overflow. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2021-47468. There is no available exploit. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.14.14 and classified as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is some unknown processing of the file kernel/workqueue.c. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a stack-based overflow vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-121. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function). As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: isdn: mISDN: Fix sleeping function called from invalid context The driver can call card->isac.release() function from an atomic context. Fix this by calling this function after releasing the lock. The following log reveals it: [ 44.168226 ] BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/workqueue.c:3018 [ 44.168941 ] in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 1, non_block: 0, pid: 5475, name: modprobe [ 44.169574 ] INFO: lockdep is turned off. [ 44.169899 ] irq event stamp: 0 [ 44.170160 ] hardirqs last enabled at (0): [] 0x0 [ 44.170627 ] hardirqs last disabled at (0): [] copy_process+0x132d/0x3e00 [ 44.171240 ] softirqs last enabled at (0): [] copy_process+0x135a/0x3e00 [ 44.171852 ] softirqs last disabled at (0): [] 0x0 [ 44.172318 ] Preemption disabled at: [ 44.172320 ] [] nj_release+0x69/0x500 [netjet] [ 44.174441 ] Call Trace: [ 44.174630 ] dump_stack_lvl+0xa8/0xd1 [ 44.174912 ] dump_stack+0x15/0x17 [ 44.175166 ] ___might_sleep+0x3a2/0x510 [ 44.175459 ] ? nj_release+0x69/0x500 [netjet] [ 44.175791 ] __might_sleep+0x82/0xe0 [ 44.176063 ] ? start_flush_work+0x20/0x7b0 [ 44.176375 ] start_flush_work+0x33/0x7b0 [ 44.176672 ] ? trace_irq_enable_rcuidle+0x85/0x170 [ 44.177034 ] ? kasan_quarantine_put+0xaa/0x1f0 [ 44.177372 ] ? kasan_quarantine_put+0xaa/0x1f0 [ 44.177711 ] __flush_work+0x11a/0x1a0 [ 44.177991 ] ? flush_work+0x20/0x20 [ 44.178257 ] ? lock_release+0x13c/0x8f0 [ 44.178550 ] ? __kasan_check_write+0x14/0x20 [ 44.178872 ] ? do_raw_spin_lock+0x148/0x360 [ 44.179187 ] ? read_lock_is_recursive+0x20/0x20 [ 44.179530 ] ? __kasan_check_read+0x11/0x20 [ 44.179846 ] ? do_raw_spin_unlock+0x55/0x900 [ 44.180168 ] ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x116/0x140 [ 44.180505 ] ? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x41/0x60 [ 44.180878 ] ? skb_queue_purge+0x1a3/0x1c0 [ 44.181189 ] ? kfree+0x13e/0x290 [ 44.181438 ] flush_work+0x17/0x20 [ 44.181695 ] mISDN_freedchannel+0xe8/0x100 [ 44.182006 ] isac_release+0x210/0x260 [mISDNipac] [ 44.182366 ] nj_release+0xf6/0x500 [netjet] [ 44.182685 ] nj_remove+0x48/0x70 [netjet] [ 44.182989 ] pci_device_remove+0xa9/0x250

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2021-47468. The exploitation appears to be easy. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 09/25/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 207689 (RHEL 8 : kernel (RHSA-2024:6993)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 4.4.290, 4.9.288, 4.14.253, 4.19.214, 5.4.156, 5.10.76 or 5.14.15 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 6f95c97e0f9d/ef269a8808cb/37e4f57b22cc/a5b34409d3fc/4054b869dc26/9f591cbdbed3/f5966ba53013/6510e80a0b81 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 Tenable (207689). Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 4.4.289
• 4.9.287
• 4.14.252
• 4.19.213
• 5.4.155
• 5.10.0
• 5.10.1
• 5.10.2
• 5.10.3
• 5.10.4
• 5.10.5
• 5.10.6
• 5.10.7
• 5.10.8
• 5.10.9
• 5.10.10
• 5.10.11
• 5.10.12
• 5.10.13
• 5.10.14
• 5.10.15
• 5.10.16
• 5.10.17
• 5.10.18
• 5.10.19
• 5.10.20
• 5.10.21
• 5.10.22
• 5.10.23
• 5.10.24
• 5.10.25
• 5.10.26
• 5.10.27
• 5.10.28
• 5.10.29
• 5.10.30
• 5.10.31
• 5.10.32
• 5.10.33
• 5.10.34
• 5.10.35
• 5.10.36
• 5.10.37
• 5.10.38
• 5.10.39
• 5.10.40
• 5.10.41
• 5.10.42
• 5.10.43
• 5.10.44
• 5.10.45
• 5.10.46
• 5.10.47
• 5.10.48
• 5.10.49
• 5.10.50
• 5.10.51
• 5.10.52
• 5.10.53
• 5.10.54
• 5.10.55
• 5.10.56
• 5.10.57
• 5.10.58
• 5.10.59
• 5.10.60
• 5.10.61
• 5.10.62
• 5.10.63
• 5.10.64
• 5.10.65
• 5.10.66
• 5.10.67
• 5.10.68
• 5.10.69
• 5.10.70
• 5.10.71
• 5.10.72
• 5.10.73
• 5.10.74
• 5.10.75
• 5.14.0
• 5.14.1
• 5.14.2
• 5.14.3
• 5.14.4
• 5.14.5
• 5.14.6
• 5.14.7
• 5.14.8
• 5.14.9
• 5.14.10
• 5.14.11
• 5.14.12
• 5.14.13
• 5.14.14

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CPE 2.2info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Discussion