# CVE-2021-47390: KVM: x86: Fix stack-out-of-bounds memory access from ioapic_write_indirect()

> A stack-out-of-bounds read in the Linux kernel's KVM module allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-47390, GHSA-r2r3-fm28-9g3h, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47390

## What is CVE-2021-47390?

CVE-2021-47390 is a high-severity memory corruption 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:

KVM: x86: Fix stack-out-of-bounds memory access from ioapic_write_indirect()

KASAN reports the following issue:

 BUG: KASAN: stack-out-of-bounds in kvm_make_vcpus_request_mask+0x174/0x440 [kvm]
 Read of size 8 at addr ffffc9001364f638 by task qemu-kvm/4798

 CPU: 0 PID: 4798 Comm: qemu-kvm Tainted: G               X --------- ---
 Hardware name: AMD Corporation DAYTONA_X/DAYTONA_X, BIOS RYM0081C 07/13/2020
 Call Trace:
  dump_stack+0xa5/0xe6
  print_address_description.constprop.0+0x18/0x130
  ? kvm_make_vcpus_request_mask+0x174/0x440 [kvm]
  __kasan_report.cold+0x7f/0x114
  ? kvm_make_vcpus_request_mask+0x174/0x440 [kvm]
  kasan_report+0x38/0x50
  kasan_check_range+0xf5/0x1d0
  kvm_make_vcpus_request_mask+0x174/0x440 [kvm]
  kvm_make_scan_ioapic_request_mask+0x84/0xc0 [kvm]
  ? kvm_arch_exit+0x110/0x110 [kvm]
  ? sched_clock+0x5/0x10
  ioapic_write_indirect+0x59f/0x9e0 [kvm]
  ? static_obj+0xc0/0xc0
  ? __lock_acquired+0x1d2/0x8c0
  ? kvm_ioapic_eoi_inject_work+0x120/0x120 [kvm]

The problem appears to be that 'vcpu_bitmap' is allocated as a single long
on stack and it should really be KVM_MAX_VCPUS long. We also seem to clear
the lower 16 bits of it with bitmap_zero() for no particular reason (my
guess would be that 'bitmap' and 'vcpu_bitmap' variables in
kvm_bitmap_or_dest_vcpus() caused the confusion: while the later is indeed
16-bit long, the later should accommodate all possible vCPUs).

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47390?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47390?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47390 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47390 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-2021-47390 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47390 is a high-severity memory corruption 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-2021-47390 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-2021-47390/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47390/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47390
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47390
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47390

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47390/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.