# CVE-2021-47399: ixgbe: Fix NULL pointer dereference in ixgbe_xdp_setup > A local attacker can cause a kernel panic in the ixgbe driver by configuring specific queue settings, leading to a denial of service. - **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/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-2021-47399, GHSA-g2fc-vv42-p4pc, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47399 ## What is CVE-2021-47399? CVE-2021-47399 is a medium-severity 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: ixgbe: Fix NULL pointer dereference in ixgbe_xdp_setup The ixgbe driver currently generates a NULL pointer dereference with some machine (online cpus < 63). This is due to the fact that the maximum value of num_xdp_queues is nr_cpu_ids. Code is in "ixgbe_set_rss_queues"". Here's how the problem repeats itself: Some machine (online cpus < 63), And user set num_queues to 63 through ethtool. Code is in the "ixgbe_set_channels", adapter->ring_feature[RING_F_FDIR].limit = count; It becomes 63. When user use xdp, "ixgbe_set_rss_queues" will set queues num. adapter->num_rx_queues = rss_i; adapter->num_tx_queues = rss_i; adapter->num_xdp_queues = ixgbe_xdp_queues(adapter); And rss_i's value is from f = &adapter->ring_feature[RING_F_FDIR]; rss_i = f->indices = f->limit; So "num_rx_queues" > "num_xdp_queues", when run to "ixgbe_xdp_setup", for (i = 0; i < adapter->num_rx_queues; i++) if (adapter->xdp_ring[i]->xsk_umem) It leads to panic. Call trace: [exception RIP: ixgbe_xdp+368] RIP: ffffffffc02a76a0 RSP: ffff9fe16202f8d0 RFLAGS: 00010297 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000020 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000000001c RDI: ffffffffa94ead90 RBP: ffff92f8f24c0c18 R8: 0000000000000000 R9: 0000000000000000 R10: ffff9fe16202f830 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff92f8f24c0000 R13: ffff9fe16202fc01 R14: 000000000000000a R15: ffffffffc02a7530 ORIG_RAX: ffffffffffffffff CS: 0010 SS: 0018 7 [ffff9fe16202f8f0] dev_xdp_install at ffffffffa89fbbcc 8 [ffff9fe16202f920] dev_change_xdp_fd at ffffffffa8a08808 9 [ffff9fe16202f960] do_setlink at ffffffffa8a20235 10 [ffff9fe16202fa88] rtnl_setlink at ffffffffa8a20384 11 [ffff9fe16202fc78] rtnetlink_rcv_msg at ffffffffa8a1a8dd 12 [ffff9fe16202fcf0] netlink_rcv_skb at ffffffffa8a717eb 13 [ffff9fe16202fd40] netlink_unicast at ffffffffa8a70f88 14 [ffff9fe16202fd80] netlink_sendmsg at ffffffffa8a71319 15 [ffff9fe16202fdf0] sock_sendmsg at ffffffffa89df290 16 [ffff9fe16202fe08] __sys_sendto at ffffffffa89e19c8 17 [ffff9fe16202ff30] __x64_sys_sendto at ffffffffa89e1a64 18 [ffff9fe16202ff38] do_syscall_64 at ffffffffa84042b9 19 [ffff9fe16202ff50] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe at ffffffffa8c0008c So I fix ixgbe_max_channels so that it will not allow a setting of queues to be higher than the num_online_cpus(). And when run to ixgbe_xdp_setup, take the smaller value of num_rx_queues and num_xdp_queues. Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47399? It affects 1 product. Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2021-47399? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2021-47399 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47399 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-2021-47399 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2021-47399 is a medium-severity 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-2021-47399 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-2021-47399/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47399/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47399 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47399 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47399 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47399/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.