CVE-2021-28714

MEDIUMCVSS 6.5/10EPSS 0.33%

Last modified

CVE-2021-28714 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 6.5/10 on the CVSS scale. Guest can force Linux netback driver to hog large amounts of kernel memory T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Incoming data packets for a guest in the Linux kernel's netback driver are buffered until the guest is ready to process them. There are some measures taken for avoiding to pile up too much data, but those can be bypassed by the guest: There is a timeout how long the client side of an interface can stop consuming new packets before it is assumed to have stalled, but this timeout is rather long (60 seconds by default). EPSS estimates a 0.33% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

Guest can force Linux netback driver to hog large amounts of kernel memory T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Incoming data packets for a guest in the Linux kernel's netback driver are buffered until the guest is ready to process them. There are some measures taken for avoiding to pile up too much data, but those can be bypassed by the guest: There is a timeout how long the client side of an interface can stop consuming new packets before it is assumed to have stalled, but this timeout is rather long (60 seconds by default). Using a UDP connection on a fast interface can easily accumulate gigabytes of data in that time. (CVE-2021-28715) The timeout could even never trigger if the guest manages to have only one free slot in its RX queue ring page and the next package would require more than one free slot, which may be the case when using GSO, XDP, or software hashing. (CVE-2021-28714)

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
6.5/10

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

EPSS Probability
0.33%

24.2th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

Affected Software

VendorProductVersions
LinuxLinux Kernel< 5.15.0
DebianDebian Linux10.0
DebianDebian Linux11.0

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-28714?
Guest can force Linux netback driver to hog large amounts of kernel memory T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Incoming data packets for a guest in the Linux kernel's netback driver are buffered until the guest is ready to process them. There are some measures taken for avoiding to pile up too much data, but those can be bypassed by the guest: There is a timeout how long the client side of an interface can stop consuming new packets before it is assumed to have stalled, but this timeout is rather long (60 seconds by default). Using a UDP connection on a fast interface can easily accumulate gigabytes of data in that time. (CVE-2021-28715) The timeout could even never trigger if the guest manages to have only one free slot in its RX queue ring page and the next package would require more than one free slot, which may be the case when using GSO, XDP, or software hashing. (CVE-2021-28714)
How severe is CVE-2021-28714?
CVE-2021-28714 has a CVSS score of 6.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.33% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2021-28714?
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-2021-28714?

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

Scan your code now

Source: NVD / NIST