Linux Kernel up to 5.17.1 ubifs_free_inode double free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.17.1. It has been rated as problematic. This affects the function ubifs_free_inode. This manipulation causes double free. This vulnerability appears as CVE-2021-47638. There is no available exploit. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.17.1 and classified as problematic. Affected by this vulnerability is the function ubifs_free_inode. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a double free vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-415. The product calls free() twice on the same memory address, potentially leading to modification of unexpected memory locations. The impact remains unknown. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ubifs: rename_whiteout: Fix double free for whiteout_ui->data 'whiteout_ui->data' will be freed twice if space budget fail for rename whiteout operation as following process: rename_whiteout dev = kmalloc whiteout_ui->data = dev kfree(whiteout_ui->data) // Free first time iput(whiteout) ubifs_free_inode kfree(ui->data) // Double free! KASAN reports: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: double-free or invalid-free in ubifs_free_inode+0x4f/0x70 Call Trace: kfree+0x117/0x490 ubifs_free_inode+0x4f/0x70 [ubifs] i_callback+0x30/0x60 rcu_do_batch+0x366/0xac0 __do_softirq+0x133/0x57f Allocated by task 1506: kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x3c2/0x7a0 do_rename+0x9b7/0x1150 [ubifs] ubifs_rename+0x106/0x1f0 [ubifs] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 Freed by task 1506: kfree+0x117/0x490 do_rename.cold+0x53/0x8a [ubifs] ubifs_rename+0x106/0x1f0 [ubifs] do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80 The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff88810238bed8 which belongs to the cache kmalloc-8 of size 8 ================================================================== Let ubifs_free_inode() free 'whiteout_ui->data'. BTW, delete unused assignment 'whiteout_ui->data_len = 0', process 'ubifs_evict_inode() -> ubifs_jnl_delete_inode() -> ubifs_jnl_write_inode()' doesn't need it (because 'inc_nlink(whiteout)' won't be excuted by 'goto out_release', and the nlink of whiteout inode is 0).

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2021-47638 since 02/26/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 03/19/2025).

Upgrading to version 4.14.276, 4.19.238, 5.4.189, 5.10.110, 5.15.33, 5.16.19 or 5.17.2 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 8b3c7be16f3f4dfd6e15ac651484e59d3fa36274/2b3236ecf96db7af5836e1366ce39ace8ce832fa/14276d38c89a170363e90b6ac0a53c3cf61b87fc/a90e2dbe66d2647ff95a0442ad2e86482d977fd8/2ad07009c459e56ebdcc089d850d664660fdb742/b9a937f096e608b3368c1abc920d4d640ba2c94f/6d7a158a7363c1f6604aa47ae1a280a5c65123dd/40a8f0d5e7b3999f096570edab71c345da812e3e 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.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 4.14.275
• 4.19.237
• 5.4.188
• 5.10.109
• 5.15.0
• 5.15.1
• 5.15.2
• 5.15.3
• 5.15.4
• 5.15.5
• 5.15.6
• 5.15.7
• 5.15.8
• 5.15.9
• 5.15.10
• 5.15.11
• 5.15.12
• 5.15.13
• 5.15.14
• 5.15.15
• 5.15.16
• 5.15.17
• 5.15.18
• 5.15.19
• 5.15.20
• 5.15.21
• 5.15.22
• 5.15.23
• 5.15.24
• 5.15.25
• 5.15.26
• 5.15.27
• 5.15.28
• 5.15.29
• 5.15.30
• 5.15.31
• 5.15.32
• 5.16.0
• 5.16.1
• 5.16.2
• 5.16.3
• 5.16.4
• 5.16.5
• 5.16.6
• 5.16.7
• 5.16.8
• 5.16.9
• 5.16.10
• 5.16.11
• 5.16.12
• 5.16.13
• 5.16.14
• 5.16.15
• 5.16.16
• 5.16.17
• 5.16.18
• 5.17.0
• 5.17.1

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Entryinfo

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