# CVE-2021-47178: scsi: target: core: Avoid smp_processor_id() in preemptible code

> A kernel bug in the SCSI target subsystem causes a system crash when using TCMU devices with debug preemption enabled, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Mar 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vmqf-grh3-9rrr, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2021-47178, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47178

## What is CVE-2021-47178?

CVE-2021-47178 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Mar 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

scsi: target: core: Avoid smp_processor_id() in preemptible code

The BUG message "BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000]
code" was observed for TCMU devices with kernel config DEBUG_PREEMPT.

The message was observed when blktests block/005 was run on TCMU devices
with fileio backend or user:zbc backend [1]. The commit 1130b499b4a7
("scsi: target: tcm_loop: Use LIO wq cmd submission helper") triggered the
symptom. The commit modified work queue to handle commands and changed
'current->nr_cpu_allowed' at smp_processor_id() call.

The message was also observed at system shutdown when TCMU devices were not
cleaned up [2]. The function smp_processor_id() was called in SCSI host
work queue for abort handling, and triggered the BUG message. This symptom
was observed regardless of the commit 1130b499b4a7 ("scsi: target:
tcm_loop: Use LIO wq cmd submission helper").

To avoid the preemptible code check at smp_processor_id(), get CPU ID with
raw_smp_processor_id() instead. The CPU ID is used for performance
improvement then thread move to other CPU will not affect the code.

[1]

[   56.468103] run blktests block/005 at 2021-05-12 14:16:38
[   57.369473] check_preemption_disabled: 85 callbacks suppressed
[   57.369480] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1511
[   57.369506] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1510
[   57.369512] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1506
[   57.369552] caller is __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod]
[   57.369606] CPU: 4 PID: 1506 Comm: fio Not tainted 5.13.0-rc1+ #34
[   57.369613] Hardware name: System manufacturer System Product Name/PRIME Z270-A, BIOS 1302 03/15/2018
[   57.369617] Call Trace:
[   57.369621] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1507
[   57.369628]  dump_stack+0x6d/0x89
[   57.369642]  check_preemption_disabled+0xc8/0xd0
[   57.369628] caller is __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod]
[   57.369655]  __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod]
[   57.369695]  target_init_cmd+0x76/0x90 [target_core_mod]
[   57.369732]  tcm_loop_queuecommand+0x109/0x210 [tcm_loop]
[   57.369744]  scsi_queue_rq+0x38e/0xc40
[   57.369761]  __blk_mq_try_issue_directly+0x109/0x1c0
[   57.369779]  blk_mq_try_issue_directly+0x43/0x90
[   57.369790]  blk_mq_submit_bio+0x4e5/0x5d0
[   57.369812]  submit_bio_noacct+0x46e/0x4e0
[   57.369830]  __blkdev_direct_IO_simple+0x1a3/0x2d0
[   57.369859]  ? set_init_blocksize.isra.0+0x60/0x60
[   57.369880]  generic_file_read_iter+0x89/0x160
[   57.369898]  blkdev_read_iter+0x44/0x60
[   57.369906]  new_sync_read+0x102/0x170
[   57.369929]  vfs_read+0xd4/0x160
[   57.369941]  __x64_sys_pread64+0x6e/0xa0
[   57.369946]  ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x79/0x100
[   57.369958]  do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x70
[   57.369965]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae
[   57.369973] RIP: 0033:0x7f7ed4c1399f
[   57.369979] Code: 08 89 3c 24 48 89 4c 24 18 e8 7d f3 ff ff 4c 8b 54 24 18 48 8b 54 24 10 41 89 c0 48 8b 74 24 08 8b 3c 24 b8 11 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 31 44 89 c7 48 89 04 24 e8 cd f3 ff ff 48 8b
[   57.369983] RSP: 002b:00007ffd7918c580 EFLAGS: 00000293 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000011
[   57.369990] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000015b4540 RCX: 00007f7ed4c1399f
[   57.369993] RDX: 0000000000001000 RSI: 00000000015de000 RDI: 0000000000000009
[   57.369996] RBP: 00000000015b4540 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000001
[   57.369999] R10: 0000000000e5c000 R11: 0000000000000293 R12: 00007f7eb5269a70
[   57.370002] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000001000 R15: 00000000015b4568
[   57.370031] CPU: 7 PID: 1507 Comm: fio Not tainted 5.13.0-rc1+ #34
[   57.370036] Hardware name: System manufacturer System Product Name/PRIME Z270-A, BIOS 1302 03/15/2018
[   57.370039] Call Trace:
[   57.370045]  dump_stack+0x6d/0x89
[   57.370056]  ch
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-459 (Incomplete Cleanup)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47178?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47178?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47178 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47178 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-2021-47178 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47178 is a high-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Mar 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47178 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-2021-47178/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47178/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47178
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47178
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47178

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47178/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
