CVE-2021-47223
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

Overview

CVE-2021-47223 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel's bridge VLAN tunnel implementation that involves a null pointer dereference in the tunnel egress path. The vulnerability was discovered in June 2021 and affects the Linux kernel's networking stack, specifically the bridge VLAN tunnel functionality (Kernel Commit).

Technical details

The vulnerability occurs due to lockless access in the tunnel egress path. When deleting a VLAN tunnel, the tunneldst pointer is set to NULL without waiting for a grace period while it's still usable, and packets egressing are dereferencing it without proper checking. The issue stems from the bridge VLAN dstmetadata hooks in ingress and egress paths, specifically related to commit 11538d039ac6 (Kernel Commit).

Impact

This vulnerability could lead to a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's networking stack, potentially causing system crashes or denial of service conditions when processing network traffic through bridge VLAN tunnels (Kernel Commit).

Mitigation and workarounds

The fix involves using READ/WRITEONCE to annotate the lockless use of tunnelid, implementing RCU for accessing tunnel_dst, and ensuring it is read only once and checked in the egress path. The patch ensures proper RCU protection for the dst pointer and implements proper checking mechanisms in the egress path (Kernel Commit).

Additional resources


SourceThis report was generated using AI

Free Vulnerability Assessment

Benchmark your Cloud Security Posture

Evaluate your cloud security practices across 9 security domains to benchmark your risk level and identify gaps in your defenses.

Request assessment

Get a personalized demo

Ready to see Wiz in action?

“Best User Experience I have ever seen, provides full visibility to cloud workloads.”
David EstlickCISO
“Wiz provides a single pane of glass to see what is going on in our cloud environments.”
Adam FletcherChief Security Officer
“We know that if Wiz identifies something as critical, it actually is.”
Greg PoniatowskiHead of Threat and Vulnerability Management