CVE-2021-47267: usb: fix various gadget panics on 10gbps cabling

Published May 21, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

usb: fix various gadget panics on 10gbps cabling

usbassigndescriptors() is called with 5 parameters, the last 4 of which are the usbdescriptorheader for: full-speed (USB1.1 - 12Mbps [including USB1.0 low-speed @ 1.5Mbps), high-speed (USB2.0 - 480Mbps), super-speed (USB3.0 - 5Gbps), super-speed-plus (USB3.1 - 10Gbps).

The differences between full/high/super-speed descriptors are usually substantial (due to changes in the maximum usb block size from 64 to 512 to 1024 bytes and other differences in the specs), while the difference between 5 and 10Gbps descriptors may be as little as nothing (in many cases the same tuning is simply good enough).

However if a gadget driver calls usbassigndescriptors() with a NULL descriptor for super-speed-plus and is then used on a max 10gbps configuration, the kernel will crash with a null pointer dereference, when a 10gbps capable device port + cable + host port combination shows up. (This wouldn't happen if the gadget max-speed was set to 5gbps, but it of course defaults to the maximum, and there's no real reason to artificially limit it)

The fix is to simply use the 5gbps descriptor as the 10gbps descriptor, if a 10gbps descriptor wasn't provided.

Obviously this won't fix the problem if the 5gbps descriptor is also NULL, but such cases can't be so trivially solved (and any such gadgets are unlikely to be used with USB3 ports any way).

Affected Software

12 affected components
Linux Linux kernel
Linux Linux kernel<4.9.273
Linux Linux kernel>=4.10<4.14.237
Linux Linux kernel>=4.15<4.19.195
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20<5.4.126
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.44
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.12.11
Linux Linux kernel=5.13-rc1
Linux Linux kernel=5.13-rc2
Linux Linux kernel=5.13-rc3
Linux Linux kernel=5.13-rc4
Linux Linux kernel=5.13-rc5

Event History

May 21, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·02:19 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·02:19 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·03:15 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-47267?

CVE-2021-47267 has a high severity rating due to its potential to cause system crashes.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-47267?

To fix CVE-2021-47267, update your Linux kernel to a version that is later than 5.13-rc5.

3

What versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2021-47267?

CVE-2021-47267 affects Linux kernel versions from 4.9.273 up to but not including 5.13-rc6.

4

Is there a workaround for CVE-2021-47267 if I cannot update immediately?

As of now, there are no known effective workarounds for CVE-2021-47267.

5

What component of the Linux kernel does CVE-2021-47267 affect?

CVE-2021-47267 affects the USB subsystem of the Linux kernel.

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