CVE-2021-26931: Medium severity Linux Linux kernel vulnerability

Published Feb 17, 2021
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel 2.6.39 through 5.10.16, as used in Xen. Block, net, and SCSI backends consider certain errors a plain bug, deliberately causing a kernel crash. For errors potentially being at least under the influence of guests (such as out of memory conditions), it isn't correct to assume a plain bug. Memory allocations potentially causing such crashes occur only when Linux is running in PV mode, though. This affects drivers/block/xen-blkback/blkback.c and drivers/xen/xen-scsiback.c.

Affected Software

5 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>=2.6.39<=5.10.16
Fedoraproject Fedora=32
Fedoraproject Fedora=33
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.259-16.1.176-16.1.177-16.12.94-16.12.95-17.1.3-17.1.4-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.259-1Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.177-1Fixed in 6.12.94-1Fixed in 6.12.95-1Fixed in 7.1.3-1Fixed in 7.1.4-1

Event History

Feb 17, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·02:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Feb 24, 2026
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·09:13 PM
Description
Jul 8, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·05:00 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Jul 20, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·11:58 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-26931?

CVE-2021-26931 is classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to cause kernel crashes.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-26931?

To fix CVE-2021-26931, update your Linux kernel to version 5.10.223-1, 5.10.226-1, 6.1.123-1, 6.1.119-1, or 6.12.10-1, depending on your distribution.

3

Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2021-26931?

CVE-2021-26931 affects Linux kernel versions from 2.6.39 to 5.10.16.

4

What systems are vulnerable to CVE-2021-26931?

Systems running certain versions of the Linux kernel, Fedora 32 and 33, and Debian 9.0 are vulnerable to CVE-2021-26931.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2021-26931?

There is no specific workaround for CVE-2021-26931, and the recommended action is to apply the available updates.

Contact

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