CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2021-47107 — Linux Linux Kernel security vulnerability

High CVSS 7.8

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: NFSD: Fix READDIR buffer overflow If a client sends a READDIR count argument that is too small (say, zero), then the buffer size calculation in the new init_dirlist helper functions results in an underflow, allowing the XDR stream functions to write beyond the actual buffer. This calculation has always been suspect. NFSD has never sanity- checked the READDIR count argument, but the old entry encoders managed the problem correctly. With the commits below, entry encoding changed, exposing the underflow to the pointer arithmetic in xdr_reserve_space(). Modern NFS clients attempt to retrieve as much data as possible for each READDIR request. Also, we have no unit tests that exercise the behavior of READDIR at the lower bound of @count values. Thus this case was missed during testing.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.8 (3.1)
Published
2024-03-04
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
linux/kernel
Weaknesses
CWE-120

Affected products

  • linux / linux_kernel
  • linux / linux_kernel / 5.16

Showing 2 representative product identities from 7 source matches. Confirm exact affected versions with the linked vendor and NVD evidence.

Matched remediation archetype

Buffer bounds, memory safety, and memory corruption

This catalog composition supplies bounded fallback guidance. Explicitly reviewed curated workflows load with the complete record below.

Check exposure

  • Identify affected native-code versions, build flags, architectures, parsers, codecs, drivers, and input paths in all shipped artifacts.
  • Determine whether untrusted data reaches the affected routine and the process privilege, sandbox, and network exposure.
  • Confirm statically linked, vendored, firmware, and platform-provided copies, not only package-manager records.

Remediate safely

  • Apply the maintained upstream correction or replace the affected component, then rebuild every dependent artifact from clean inputs.
  • Adopt bounds-checked interfaces, validated sizes and integer conversions, clear ownership, and memory-safe components where practical.
  • Enable supported compiler and runtime hardening and add sanitized tests and fuzz regression seeds derived from non-weaponized fixtures.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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