# CVE-2021-47268: usb: typec: tcpm: cancel vdm and state machine hrtimer when unregister tcpm port

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel USB Type-C TCPM driver allows a local attacker to cause a system crash during module unloading.

- **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:** 21 May 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-47268, GHSA-8g98-8rxj-3j4q, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47268

## What is CVE-2021-47268?

CVE-2021-47268 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 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:

usb: typec: tcpm: cancel vdm and state machine hrtimer when unregister tcpm port

A pending hrtimer may expire after the kthread_worker of tcpm port
is destroyed, see below kernel dump when do module unload, fix it
by cancel the 2 hrtimers.

[  111.517018] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address ffff8000118cb880
[  111.518786] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 60061185 op 0x0:(READ) flags 0x0 phys_seg 1 prio class 0
[  111.526594] Mem abort info:
[  111.526597]   ESR = 0x96000047
[  111.526600]   EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits
[  111.526604]   SET = 0, FnV = 0
[  111.526607]   EA = 0, S1PTW = 0
[  111.526610] Data abort info:
[  111.526612]   ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000047
[  111.526615]   CM = 0, WnR = 1
[  111.526619] swapper pgtable: 4k pages, 48-bit VAs, pgdp=0000000041d75000
[  111.526623] [ffff8000118cb880] pgd=10000001bffff003, p4d=10000001bffff003, pud=10000001bfffe003, pmd=10000001bfffa003, pte=0000000000000000
[  111.526642] Internal error: Oops: 96000047 [#1] PREEMPT SMP
[  111.526647] Modules linked in: dwc3_imx8mp dwc3 phy_fsl_imx8mq_usb [last unloaded: tcpci]
[  111.526663] CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 5.13.0-rc4-00927-gebbe9dbd802c-dirty #36
[  111.526670] Hardware name: NXP i.MX8MPlus EVK board (DT)
[  111.526674] pstate: 800000c5 (Nzcv daIF -PAN -UAO -TCO BTYPE=--)
[  111.526681] pc : queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x1a0/0x390
[  111.526695] lr : _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x88/0xb4
[  111.526703] sp : ffff800010003e20
[  111.526706] x29: ffff800010003e20 x28: ffff00017f380180
[  111.537156] buffer_io_error: 6 callbacks suppressed
[  111.537162] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040704, async page read
[  111.539932]  x27: ffff00017f3801c0
[  111.539938] x26: ffff800010ba2490 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000001
[  111.543025] blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sda, sector 60061186 op 0x0:(READ) flags 0x0 phys_seg 7 prio class 0
[  111.548304]
[  111.548306] x23: 00000000000000c0 x22: ffff0000c2a9f184 x21: ffff00017f380180
[  111.551374] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040705, async page read
[  111.554499]
[  111.554503] x20: ffff0000c5f14210 x19: 00000000000000c0 x18: 0000000000000000
[  111.557391] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040706, async page read
[  111.561218]
[  111.561222] x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000000 x15: 0000000000000000
[  111.564205] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040707, async page read
[  111.570887] x14: 00000000000000f5 x13: 0000000000000001 x12: 0000000000000040
[  111.570902] x11: ffff0000c05ac6d8
[  111.583420] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040708, async page read
[  111.588978]  x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : 0000000000040000
[  111.588988] x8 : 0000000000000000
[  111.597173] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040709, async page read
[  111.605766]  x7 : ffff00017f384880 x6 : ffff8000118cb880
[  111.605777] x5 : ffff00017f384880
[  111.611094] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040710, async page read
[  111.617086]  x4 : 0000000000000000 x3 : ffff0000c2a9f184
[  111.617096] x2 : ffff8000118cb880
[  111.622242] Buffer I/O error on dev sda1, logical block 60040711, async page read
[  111.626927]  x1 : ffff8000118cb880 x0 : ffff00017f384888
[  111.626938] Call trace:
[  111.626942]  queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x1a0/0x390
[  111.795809]  kthread_queue_work+0x30/0xc0
[  111.799828]  state_machine_timer_handler+0x20/0x30
[  111.804624]  __hrtimer_run_queues+0x140/0x1e0
[  111.808990]  hrtimer_interrupt+0xec/0x2c0
[  111.813004]  arch_timer_handler_phys+0x38/0x50
[  111.817456]  handle_percpu_devid_irq+0x88/0x150
[  111.821991]  __handle_domain_irq+0x80/0xe0
[  111.826093]  gic_handle_irq+0xc0/0x140
[  111.829848]  el1_irq+0xbc/0x154
[  111.832991]  arch_cpu_idle+0x1c/0x2c
[  111.836572]  default_idle_call+0x24/0x6c
[  111.840497]  do_idle+0x238/0x2ac
[  1
---truncated---

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47268?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47268?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47268 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47268 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-2021-47268 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47268 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 21 May 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-2021-47268 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-2021-47268/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47268/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47268
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47268
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47268

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47268/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
