CVE-2021-20261

Name: CVE-2021-20261
Creator: NVD / NIST
Published: 2021-03-11T21:15:11.983+00:00
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

MEDIUMCVSS 6.4/10EPSS 0.23%

Last modified Jun 17, 2026

CVE-2021-20261 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.4/10 on the CVSS scale. A race condition was found in the Linux kernels implementation of the floppy disk drive controller driver software. The impact of this issue is lessened by the fact that the default permissions on the floppy device (/dev/fd0) are restricted to root. EPSS estimates a 0.23% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

A race condition was found in the Linux kernels implementation of the floppy disk drive controller driver software. The impact of this issue is lessened by the fact that the default permissions on the floppy device (/dev/fd0) are restricted to root. If the permissions on the device have changed the impact changes greatly. In the default configuration root (or equivalent) permissions are required to attack this flaw.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

6.4/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.23%

13.3th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-362

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	< 4.5
Linux	Linux Kernel	4.5
Redhat	Enterprise Linux	7.0

References

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1932150Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=a0c80efe5956ccce9fe7ae5c78542578c07bc20aMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory
https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1932150Issue Tracking, Patch, Third Party Advisory
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=a0c80efe5956ccce9fe7ae5c78542578c07bc20aMailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory

Timeline

Published: Mar 11, 2021
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-20261?

How severe is CVE-2021-20261?

CVE-2021-20261 has a CVSS score of 6.4/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.23% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-20261?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

Are you affected by CVE-2021-20261?

Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST