CVE-2021-46972: ovl: fix leaked dentry

Published Feb 27, 2024
·
Updated

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

ovl: fix leaked dentry

Since commit 6815f479ca90 ("ovl: use only uppermetacopy state in ovllookup()"), overlayfs doesn't put temporary dentry when there is a metacopy error, which leads to dentry leaks when shutting down the related superblock:

overlayfs: refusing to follow metacopy origin for (/file0) ... BUG: Dentry (ptrval){i=3f33,n=file3} still in use (1) [unmount of overlay overlay] ... WARNING: CPU: 1 PID: 432 at umountcheck.cold+0x107/0x14d CPU: 1 PID: 432 Comm: unmount-overlay Not tainted 5.12.0-rc5 #1 ... RIP: 0010:umountcheck.cold+0x107/0x14d ... Call Trace: dwalk+0x28c/0x950 ? dentrylruisolate+0x2b0/0x2b0 ? kasanslabfree+0x12/0x20 doonetree+0x33/0x60 shrinkdcacheforumount+0x78/0x1d0 genericshutdownsuper+0x70/0x440 killanonsuper+0x3e/0x70 deactivatelockedsuper+0xc4/0x160 deactivatesuper+0xfa/0x140 cleanupmnt+0x22e/0x370 cleanupmnt+0x1a/0x30 taskworkrun+0x139/0x210 doexit+0xb0c/0x2820 ? kasancheckread+0x1d/0x30 ? findheldlock+0x35/0x160 ? lockrelease+0x1b6/0x660 ? mmupdatenextowner+0xa20/0xa20 ? reacquireheldlocks+0x3f0/0x3f0 ? sanitizercovtraceconstcmp4+0x22/0x30 dogroupexit+0x135/0x380 dosysexitgroup.isra.0+0x20/0x20 x64sysexitgroup+0x3c/0x50 dosyscall64+0x45/0x70 entrySYSCALL64afterhwframe+0x44/0xae ... VFS: Busy inodes after unmount of overlay. Self-destruct in 5 seconds. Have a nice day...

This fix has been tested with a syzkaller reproducer.

Other sources

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

ovl: fix leaked dentry

The Linux kernel CVE team has assigned CVE-2021-46972 to this issue.

Upstream advisory: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2024022721-CVE-2021-46972-2ec2@gregkh/T/#u

Red Hat

Affected Software

11 affected componentsFixes available
redhat/kernel<5.10.35
5.10.35
redhat/kernel<5.11.19
5.11.19
redhat/kernel<5.12.2
5.12.2
redhat/kernel<5.13
5.13
Linux Linux kernel>=5.8<5.10.35
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.11.19
Linux Linux kernel>=5.12<5.12.2
IBM Security Verify Governance<=ISVG 10.0.2
IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager Software Stack<=ISVG 10.0.2
IBM Security Verify Governance, Identity Manager Virtual Appliance<=ISVG 10.0.2
IBM Security Verify Governance Identity Manager Container<=ISVG 10.0.2

Event History

Feb 27, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:47 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:47 PM
Description
Feb 29, 2024
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·07:04 AM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2021-46972?

CVE-2021-46972 is classified as a moderate severity vulnerability affecting the Linux kernel.

2

How do I fix CVE-2021-46972?

To fix CVE-2021-46972, you should update your Linux kernel to the latest patched versions 5.10.35, 5.11.19, 5.12.2, or 5.13.

3

Which Linux kernel versions are affected by CVE-2021-46972?

CVE-2021-46972 affects Linux kernel versions between 5.8 and 5.13.

4

What type of vulnerability is CVE-2021-46972?

CVE-2021-46972 is a vulnerability related to the overlay filesystem in the Linux kernel.

5

Is there a patch available for CVE-2021-46972?

Yes, patches to resolve CVE-2021-46972 are included in specific kernel updates for versions 5.10.35, 5.11.19, 5.12.2, and 5.13.

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