# CVE-2021-47082: tun: avoid double free in tun_free_netdev

> A double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's tun driver allows local attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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:** 4 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-47082, GHSA-pfh4-6f3v-4mwm, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47082

## What is CVE-2021-47082?

CVE-2021-47082 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Mar 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:

tun: avoid double free in tun_free_netdev

Avoid double free in tun_free_netdev() by moving the
dev->tstats and tun->security allocs to a new ndo_init routine
(tun_net_init()) that will be called by register_netdevice().
ndo_init is paired with the desctructor (tun_free_netdev()),
so if there's an error in register_netdevice() the destructor
will handle the frees.

BUG: KASAN: double-free or invalid-free in selinux_tun_dev_free_security+0x1a/0x20 security/selinux/hooks.c:5605

CPU: 0 PID: 25750 Comm: syz-executor416 Not tainted 5.16.0-rc2-syzk #1
Hardware name: Red Hat KVM, BIOS
Call Trace:
<TASK>
__dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:88 [inline]
dump_stack_lvl+0x89/0xb5 lib/dump_stack.c:106
print_address_description.constprop.9+0x28/0x160 mm/kasan/report.c:247
kasan_report_invalid_free+0x55/0x80 mm/kasan/report.c:372
____kasan_slab_free mm/kasan/common.c:346 [inline]
__kasan_slab_free+0x107/0x120 mm/kasan/common.c:374
kasan_slab_free include/linux/kasan.h:235 [inline]
slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:1723 [inline]
slab_free_freelist_hook mm/slub.c:1749 [inline]
slab_free mm/slub.c:3513 [inline]
kfree+0xac/0x2d0 mm/slub.c:4561
selinux_tun_dev_free_security+0x1a/0x20 security/selinux/hooks.c:5605
security_tun_dev_free_security+0x4f/0x90 security/security.c:2342
tun_free_netdev+0xe6/0x150 drivers/net/tun.c:2215
netdev_run_todo+0x4df/0x840 net/core/dev.c:10627
rtnl_unlock+0x13/0x20 net/core/rtnetlink.c:112
__tun_chr_ioctl+0x80c/0x2870 drivers/net/tun.c:3302
tun_chr_ioctl+0x2f/0x40 drivers/net/tun.c:3311
vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline]
__do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:874 [inline]
__se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:860 [inline]
__x64_sys_ioctl+0x19d/0x220 fs/ioctl.c:860
do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x80 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47082?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47082?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47082 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47082 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-2021-47082 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47082 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Mar 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-2021-47082 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-2021-47082/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47082/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47082
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47082
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47082

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47082/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.