CVE-2021-33200: High severity linux kernel vulnerability

Published May 26, 2021
·
Updated

A flaw was found in kernel/bpf/verifier.c in BPF in the Linux kernel. An incorrect limit is enforced for pointer arithmetic operations which can be abused to perform out-of-bounds reads and writes in kernel memory, leading to local privilege escalation. The highest threat from this vulnerability is to data confidentiality and integrity as well as system availability.

Other sources

kernel/bpf/verifier.c in the Linux kernel through 5.12.7 enforces incorrect limits for pointer arithmetic operations, aka CID-bb01a1bba579. This can be abused to perform out-of-bounds reads and writes in kernel memory, leading to local privilege escalation to root. In particular, there is a corner case where the off reg causes a masking direction change, which then results in an incorrect final aux->alulimit.

Affected Software

40 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel-rt<0:4.18.0-348.rt7.130.el8
0:4.18.0-348.rt7.130.el8
redhat/kernel<0:4.18.0-348.el8
0:4.18.0-348.el8
redhat/kernel<5.13
5.13
Linux Linux kernel>=5.4.116<5.4.123
Linux Linux kernel>=5.10.33<5.10.41
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11.17<5.12.8
Fedoraproject Fedora=33
Fedoraproject Fedora=34
NetApp Cloud Backup
NetApp Solidfire \& Hci Management Node
NetApp Solidfire Baseboard Management Controller
All of the following
NetApp H300s Firmware
NetApp H300s
All of the following
NetApp H500s Firmware
NetApp H500s
All of the following
NetApp H300e Firmware
NetApp H300e
All of the following
NetApp H500e Firmware
NetApp H500e
All of the following
NetApp H700e Firmware
NetApp H700e
All of the following
NetApp H410s Firmware
NetApp H410s
All of the following
NetApp H700s Firmware
NetApp H700s
NetApp H300s Firmware
NetApp H300s
NetApp H500s Firmware
NetApp H500s
NetApp H300e Firmware
NetApp H300e
NetApp H500e Firmware
NetApp H500e
NetApp H700e Firmware
NetApp H700e
NetApp H410s Firmware
NetApp H410s
NetApp H700s Firmware
NetApp H700s
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Remediation

Information

The default Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel prevents unprivileged users from being able to use eBPF by the kernel.unprivileged_bpf_disabled sysctl. This would require a privileged user with CAP_SYS_ADMIN or root to be able to abuse this flaw reducing its attack space. For the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 the eBPF for unprivileged users is always disabled. For the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 to confirm the current state, inspect the sysctl with the command: # cat /proc/sys/kernel/unprivileged_bpf_disabled The setting of 1 would mean that unprivileged users can not use eBPF, mitigating the flaw. A kernel update will be required to mitigate the flaw for the root or users with CAP_SYS_ADMIN capabilities.

Event History

May 26, 2021
CVE Published
12:00 AM
May 27, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·12:00 AM
Description
Mar 28, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·12:30 AM
Description
Sep 16, 2024
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·02:31 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Apr 8, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·04:27 AM
DescriptionAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-33200?

CVE-2021-33200 has a high severity level due to its potential for local privilege escalation through out-of-bounds memory access.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-33200?

To fix CVE-2021-33200, update the Linux kernel to a version that addresses this vulnerability, such as kernel-rt 0:4.18.0-348.rt7.130.el8 or kernel 0:4.18.0-348.el8.

3

What types of systems are affected by CVE-2021-33200?

CVE-2021-33200 affects various versions of the Linux kernel, including specific Red Hat and Debian distributions.

4

Can CVE-2021-33200 be exploited remotely?

CVE-2021-33200 cannot be exploited remotely; it requires local access to the affected system.

5

What should I do if I'm running an affected version of the Linux kernel related to CVE-2021-33200?

If running an affected version, immediately plan to update to a secured version of the Linux kernel to mitigate the risk of privilege escalation.

Contact

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