Linux Kernel up to 5.4.162/5.10.82/5.15.5 nexthop nh_create_ipv6 null pointer dereference

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4.6$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.4.162/5.10.82/5.15.5. It has been classified as critical. The affected element is the function nh_create_ipv6 of the component nexthop. This manipulation causes null pointer dereference. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2021-47572. There is no available exploit. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.4.162/5.10.82/5.15.5. It has been declared as critical. Affected by this vulnerability is the function nh_create_ipv6 of the component nexthop. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is 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. As an impact it is known to affect availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: nexthop: fix null pointer dereference when IPv6 is not enabled When we try to add an IPv6 nexthop and IPv6 is not enabled (!CONFIG_IPV6) we'll hit a NULL pointer dereference[1] in the error path of nh_create_ipv6() due to calling ipv6_stub->fib6_nh_release. The bug has been present since the beginning of IPv6 nexthop gateway support. Commit 1aefd3de7bc6 ("ipv6: Add fib6_nh_init and release to stubs") tells us that only fib6_nh_init has a dummy stub because fib6_nh_release should not be called if fib6_nh_init returns an error, but the commit below added a call to ipv6_stub->fib6_nh_release in its error path. To fix it return the dummy stub's -EAFNOSUPPORT error directly without calling ipv6_stub->fib6_nh_release in nh_create_ipv6()'s error path. [1] Output is a bit truncated, but it clearly shows the error. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 000000000000000000 #PF: supervisor instruction fetch in kernel modede #PF: error_code(0x0010) - not-present pagege PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0010 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI CPU: 4 PID: 638 Comm: ip Kdump: loaded Not tainted 5.16.0-rc1+ #446 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.14.0-4.fc34 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:0x0 Code: Unable to access opcode bytes at RIP 0xffffffffffffffd6. RSP: 0018:ffff888109f5b8f0 EFLAGS: 00010286^Ac RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff888109f5ba28 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: ffff8881008a2860 RBP: ffff888109f5b9d8 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: ffff888109f5b978 R11: ffff888109f5b948 R12: 00000000ffffff9f R13: ffff8881008a2a80 R14: ffff8881008a2860 R15: ffff8881008a2840 FS: 00007f98de70f100(0000) GS:ffff88822bf00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: ffffffffffffffd6 CR3: 0000000100efc000 CR4: 00000000000006e0 Call Trace: nh_create_ipv6+0xed/0x10c rtm_new_nexthop+0x6d7/0x13f3 ? check_preemption_disabled+0x3d/0xf2 ? lock_is_held_type+0xbe/0xfd rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x23f/0x26a ? check_preemption_disabled+0x3d/0xf2 ? rtnl_calcit.isra.0+0x147/0x147 netlink_rcv_skb+0x61/0xb2 netlink_unicast+0x100/0x187 netlink_sendmsg+0x37f/0x3a0 ? netlink_unicast+0x187/0x187 sock_sendmsg_nosec+0x67/0x9b ____sys_sendmsg+0x19d/0x1f9 ? copy_msghdr_from_user+0x4c/0x5e ? rcu_read_lock_any_held+0x2a/0x78 ___sys_sendmsg+0x6c/0x8c ? asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x12/0x20 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0xd9/0x102 ? sockfd_lookup_light+0x69/0x99 __sys_sendmsg+0x50/0x6e do_syscall_64+0xcb/0xf2 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae RIP: 0033:0x7f98dea28914 Code: 00 f7 d8 64 89 02 48 c7 c0 ff ff ff ff eb b5 0f 1f 80 00 00 00 00 48 8d 05 e9 5d 0c 00 8b 00 85 c0 75 13 b8 2e 00 00 00 0f 05 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 54 c3 0f 1f 00 41 54 41 89 d4 55 48 89 f5 53 RSP: 002b:00007fff859f5e68 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 000000000000002e2e RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000619cb810 RCX: 00007f98dea28914 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 00007fff859f5ed0 RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 0000000000000008 R10: fffffffffffffce6 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000001 R13: 000055c0097ae520 R14: 000055c0097957fd R15: 00007fff859f63a0 Modules linked in: bridge stp llc bonding virtio_net

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2021-47572. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 239742 (TencentOS Server 2: kernel (TSSA-2024:1030)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.4.163, 5.10.83 or 5.15.6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 7b6f44856da5/b70ff391deee/39509d76a9a3/1c743127cc54 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 (239742). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Productinfo

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CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 4.6

VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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VulDB Base Score: 🔍
VulDB Temp Score: 🔍
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Null pointer dereference
CWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔍
ATT&CK: 🔍

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔍
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔍
EPSS Percentile: 🔍

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔍

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Nessus ID: 239742
Nessus Name: TencentOS Server 2: kernel (TSSA-2024:1030)

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔍

Upgrade: Kernel 5.4.163/5.10.83/5.15.6
Patch: 7b6f44856da5/b70ff391deee/39509d76a9a3/1c743127cc54

Timelineinfo

05/24/2024 🔍
05/24/2024 +0 days 🔍
06/21/2025 +393 days 🔍

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2021-47572 (🔍)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2021-47572
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-266173

Entryinfo

Created: 05/24/2024 17:38
Updated: 06/21/2025 02:47
Changes: 05/24/2024 17:38 (57), 06/21/2025 02:47 (3)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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