CVE-2021-38160: Input Validation

Published Jul 3, 2021
·
Updated

DISPUTED In drivers/char/virtioconsole.c in the Linux kernel before 5.13.4, data corruption or loss can be triggered by an untrusted device that supplies a buf->len value exceeding the buffer size. NOTE: the vendor indicates that the cited data corruption is not a vulnerability in any existing use case; the length validation was added solely for robustness in the face of anomalous host OS behavior.

Other sources

This CVE is being DISPUTED () by Red Hat with a note that the cited data corruption is not a vulnerability in any existing use case; the length validation was added solely for robustness in the face of anomalous host OS behavior.

() https://cve.mitre.org/cgi-bin/cvename.cgi?name=CVE-2021-38160

Reference and upstream patch: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d00d8da5869a2608e97cfede094dfc5e11462a46

Affected Software

23 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel<5.13.4
NetApp Hci Bootstrap Os
NetApp Hci Compute Node
NetApp Hci Management Node
NetApp Solidfire
NetApp Element Software
NetApp Hci Storage Node
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
redhat Enterprise Linux=8.0
Linux Linux kernel>=2.6.24<4.4.276
Linux Linux kernel>=4.5<4.9.276
Linux Linux kernel>=4.10<4.14.240
Linux Linux kernel>=4.15<4.19.198
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20<5.4.134
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.52
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.12.19
Linux Linux kernel>=5.13<5.13.4
All of the following
NetApp Hci Bootstrap Os
NetApp Hci Compute Node
All of the following
NetApp Hci Storage Node
NetApp Element Software
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

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 5.10.234-1Fixed in 6.1.129-1Fixed in 6.1.135-1Fixed in 6.12.25-1Fixed in 6.12.27-1

Event History

Jul 3, 2021
CVE Published
12:00 AM
Data Sourced
12:00 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeakness
Aug 7, 2021
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:31 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:31 AM
Description
Disputed
04:15 AM
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Aug 9, 2021
Data Sourced
07:46 PM
Affected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:58 PM
Description
Apr 28, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·04:30 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-38160?

The severity of CVE-2021-38160 is disputed, as the vendor claims the data corruption is not an actual vulnerability in the existing software.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-38160?

To fix CVE-2021-38160, update to a version of the Linux kernel that is 5.13.4 or newer.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2021-38160?

CVE-2021-38160 affects various versions of the Linux kernel prior to 5.13.4, including those in Debian and Red Hat distributions.

4

What kind of attack is CVE-2021-38160 associated with?

CVE-2021-38160 is associated with potential data corruption or loss caused by untrusted devices supplying excessive buffer lengths.

5

Is CVE-2021-38160 a critical vulnerability?

CVE-2021-38160 is not classified as critical since the vendor asserts that the issue does not represent a vulnerability under existing conditions.

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