CVE-2021-47559: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: Fix NULL pointer dereferencing in smc_vlan_by_tcpsk() Coverity reports ...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: Fix NULL pointer dereferencing in smc_vlan_by_tcpsk() Coverity reports a possible NULL dereferencing problem: in smc_vlan_by_tcpsk(): 6. returned_null: netdev_lower_get_next returns NULL (checked 29 out of 30 times). 7. var_assigned: Assigning: ndev = NULL return value from netdev_lower_get_next. 1623 ndev = (struct net_device *)netdev_lower_get_next(ndev, &lower); CID 1468509 (#1 of 1): Dereference null return value (NULL_RETURNS) 8. dereference: Dereferencing a pointer that might be NULL ndev when calling is_vlan_dev. 1624 if (is_vlan_dev(ndev)) { Remove the manual implementation and use netdev_walk_all_lower_dev() to iterate over the lower devices. While on it remove an obsolete function parameter comment.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

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

EPSS Probability

0.21%

11.1th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 4.18, < 5.10.83
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.11, < 5.15.6

References

Timeline

Published: May 24, 2024
Last Modified: Jun 17, 2026
Status: Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2021-47559?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: Fix NULL pointer dereferencing in smc_vlan_by_tcpsk() Coverity reports a possible NULL dereferencing problem: in smc_vlan_by_tcpsk(): 6. returned_null: netdev_lower_get_next returns NULL (checked 29 out of 30 times). 7. var_assigned: Assigning: ndev = NULL return value from netdev_lower_get_next. 1623 ndev = (struct net_device *)netdev_lower_get_next(ndev, &lower); CID 1468509 (#1 of 1): Dereference null return value (NULL_RETURNS) 8. dereference: Dereferencing a pointer that might be NULL ndev when calling is_vlan_dev. 1624 if (is_vlan_dev(ndev)) { Remove the manual implementation and use netdev_walk_all_lower_dev() to iterate over the lower devices. While on it remove an obsolete function parameter comment.

How severe is CVE-2021-47559?

CVE-2021-47559 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.21% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2021-47559?

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.