CVE-2021-28038: Medium severity linux kernel vulnerability

Published Mar 5, 2021
·
Updated

An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel through 5.11.3, as used with Xen PV. A certain part of the netback driver lacks necessary treatment of errors such as failed memory allocations (as a result of changes to the handling of grant mapping errors). A host OS denial of service may occur during misbehavior of a networking frontend driver. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2021-26931.

Affected Software

13 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel>=2.6.39<4.4.260
Linux Linux kernel>=4.5.0<4.9.260
Linux Linux kernel>=4.10.0<4.14.224
Linux Linux kernel>=4.15.0<4.19.179
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20.0<5.4.103
Linux Linux kernel>=5.10.0<5.10.21
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11.0<5.11.4
Linux Linux kernel=5.12-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=5.12-rc2
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
NetApp Cloud Backup
NetApp Solidfire Baseboard Management Controller Firmware
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Event History

Mar 5, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Description
Mar 28, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:25 AM
Description
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:25 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:25 AM
DescriptionAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-28038?

CVE-2021-28038 has been classified as a high severity vulnerability due to its potential to cause denial of service in the host operating system.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-28038?

To fix CVE-2021-28038, upgrade to the recommended patched versions of the Linux kernel including 5.10.223-1 or later.

3

Which systems are affected by CVE-2021-28038?

CVE-2021-28038 affects various versions of the Linux kernel from 2.6.39 to 5.11.3, especially those used in Xen PV environments.

4

What types of attacks can exploit CVE-2021-28038?

CVE-2021-28038 can be exploited by attackers to trigger a denial of service condition in the host OS through specific error handling in the netback driver.

5

Is there a workaround for CVE-2021-28038?

Currently, the recommended mitigation for CVE-2021-28038 is to apply the available updates or patches for the Linux kernel rather than relying on a workaround.

Contact

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