# CVE-2021-46936: net: fix use-after-free in tw_timer_handler

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's network timer handler can cause a system panic, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 27 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-46936, GHSA-9x4x-qwhq-g8f7, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-46936

## What is CVE-2021-46936?

CVE-2021-46936 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net: fix use-after-free in tw_timer_handler

A real world panic issue was found as follow in Linux 5.4.

    BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffde49a863de28
    PGD 7e6fe62067 P4D 7e6fe62067 PUD 7e6fe63067 PMD f51e064067 PTE 0
    RIP: 0010:tw_timer_handler+0x20/0x40
    Call Trace:
     <IRQ>
     call_timer_fn+0x2b/0x120
     run_timer_softirq+0x1ef/0x450
     __do_softirq+0x10d/0x2b8
     irq_exit+0xc7/0xd0
     smp_apic_timer_interrupt+0x68/0x120
     apic_timer_interrupt+0xf/0x20

This issue was also reported since 2017 in the thread [1],
unfortunately, the issue was still can be reproduced after fixing
DCCP.

The ipv4_mib_exit_net is called before tcp_sk_exit_batch when a net
namespace is destroyed since tcp_sk_ops is registered befrore
ipv4_mib_ops, which means tcp_sk_ops is in the front of ipv4_mib_ops
in the list of pernet_list. There will be a use-after-free on
net->mib.net_statistics in tw_timer_handler after ipv4_mib_exit_net
if there are some inflight time-wait timers.

This bug is not introduced by commit f2bf415cfed7 ("mib: add net to
NET_ADD_STATS_BH") since the net_statistics is a global variable
instead of dynamic allocation and freeing. Actually, commit
61a7e26028b9 ("mib: put net statistics on struct net") introduces
the bug since it put net statistics on struct net and free it when
net namespace is destroyed.

Moving init_ipv4_mibs() to the front of tcp_init() to fix this bug
and replace pr_crit() with panic() since continuing is meaningless
when init_ipv4_mibs() fails.

[1] https://groups.google.com/g/syzkaller/c/p1tn-_Kc6l4/m/smuL_FMAAgAJ?pli=1

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-46936?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-46936?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-46936 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-46936 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-46936 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-46936 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-46936 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-46936/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-46936/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-46936
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46936
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-46936

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-46936/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.