# CVE-2021-47402: net: sched: flower: protect fl_walk() with rcu

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's flower classifier allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via concurrent filter deletion.

- **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:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-47402, GHSA-xwvh-fxhh-3qrr, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47402, openSUSE-SU-2024:14234-1

## What is CVE-2021-47402?

CVE-2021-47402 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:

net: sched: flower: protect fl_walk() with rcu

Patch that refactored fl_walk() to use idr_for_each_entry_continue_ul()
also removed rcu protection of individual filters which causes following
use-after-free when filter is deleted concurrently. Fix fl_walk() to obtain
rcu read lock while iterating and taking the filter reference and temporary
release the lock while calling arg->fn() callback that can sleep.

KASAN trace:

[  352.773640] ==================================================================
[  352.775041] BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in fl_walk+0x159/0x240 [cls_flower]
[  352.776304] Read of size 4 at addr ffff8881c8251480 by task tc/2987

[  352.777862] CPU: 3 PID: 2987 Comm: tc Not tainted 5.15.0-rc2+ #2
[  352.778980] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.13.0-0-gf21b5a4aeb02-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014
[  352.781022] Call Trace:
[  352.781573]  dump_stack_lvl+0x46/0x5a
[  352.782332]  print_address_description.constprop.0+0x1f/0x140
[  352.783400]  ? fl_walk+0x159/0x240 [cls_flower]
[  352.784292]  ? fl_walk+0x159/0x240 [cls_flower]
[  352.785138]  kasan_report.cold+0x83/0xdf
[  352.785851]  ? fl_walk+0x159/0x240 [cls_flower]
[  352.786587]  kasan_check_range+0x145/0x1a0
[  352.787337]  fl_walk+0x159/0x240 [cls_flower]
[  352.788163]  ? fl_put+0x10/0x10 [cls_flower]
[  352.789007]  ? __mutex_unlock_slowpath.constprop.0+0x220/0x220
[  352.790102]  tcf_chain_dump+0x231/0x450
[  352.790878]  ? tcf_chain_tp_delete_empty+0x170/0x170
[  352.791833]  ? __might_sleep+0x2e/0xc0
[  352.792594]  ? tfilter_notify+0x170/0x170
[  352.793400]  ? __mutex_unlock_slowpath.constprop.0+0x220/0x220
[  352.794477]  tc_dump_tfilter+0x385/0x4b0
[  352.795262]  ? tc_new_tfilter+0x1180/0x1180
[  352.796103]  ? __mod_node_page_state+0x1f/0xc0
[  352.796974]  ? __build_skb_around+0x10e/0x130
[  352.797826]  netlink_dump+0x2c0/0x560
[  352.798563]  ? netlink_getsockopt+0x430/0x430
[  352.799433]  ? __mutex_unlock_slowpath.constprop.0+0x220/0x220
[  352.800542]  __netlink_dump_start+0x356/0x440
[  352.801397]  rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x3ff/0x550
[  352.802190]  ? tc_new_tfilter+0x1180/0x1180
[  352.802872]  ? rtnl_calcit.isra.0+0x1f0/0x1f0
[  352.803668]  ? tc_new_tfilter+0x1180/0x1180
[  352.804344]  ? _copy_from_iter_nocache+0x800/0x800
[  352.805202]  ? kasan_set_track+0x1c/0x30
[  352.805900]  netlink_rcv_skb+0xc6/0x1f0
[  352.806587]  ? rht_deferred_worker+0x6b0/0x6b0
[  352.807455]  ? rtnl_calcit.isra.0+0x1f0/0x1f0
[  352.808324]  ? netlink_ack+0x4d0/0x4d0
[  352.809086]  ? netlink_deliver_tap+0x62/0x3d0
[  352.809951]  netlink_unicast+0x353/0x480
[  352.810744]  ? netlink_attachskb+0x430/0x430
[  352.811586]  ? __alloc_skb+0xd7/0x200
[  352.812349]  netlink_sendmsg+0x396/0x680
[  352.813132]  ? netlink_unicast+0x480/0x480
[  352.813952]  ? __import_iovec+0x192/0x210
[  352.814759]  ? netlink_unicast+0x480/0x480
[  352.815580]  sock_sendmsg+0x6c/0x80
[  352.816299]  ____sys_sendmsg+0x3a5/0x3c0
[  352.817096]  ? kernel_sendmsg+0x30/0x30
[  352.817873]  ? __ia32_sys_recvmmsg+0x150/0x150
[  352.818753]  ___sys_sendmsg+0xd8/0x140
[  352.819518]  ? sendmsg_copy_msghdr+0x110/0x110
[  352.820402]  ? ___sys_recvmsg+0xf4/0x1a0
[  352.821110]  ? __copy_msghdr_from_user+0x260/0x260
[  352.821934]  ? _raw_spin_lock+0x81/0xd0
[  352.822680]  ? __handle_mm_fault+0xef3/0x1b20
[  352.823549]  ? rb_insert_color+0x2a/0x270
[  352.824373]  ? copy_page_range+0x16b0/0x16b0
[  352.825209]  ? perf_event_update_userpage+0x2d0/0x2d0
[  352.826190]  ? __fget_light+0xd9/0xf0
[  352.826941]  __sys_sendmsg+0xb3/0x130
[  352.827613]  ? __sys_sendmsg_sock+0x20/0x20
[  352.828377]  ? do_user_addr_fault+0x2c5/0x8a0
[  352.829184]  ? fpregs_assert_state_consistent+0x52/0x60
[  352.830001]  ? exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0x32/0x160
[  352.830845]  do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80
[  352.831445]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae
[  352.832331] RIP: 0033:0x7f7bee973c17
[ 
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47402?

It affects 1 product.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `klp-build` | openSUSE:Tumbleweed | All versions | 0~20240731.edfe0bf-1.1 |

Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47402?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47402 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47402 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-2021-47402 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47402 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-2021-47402 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-2021-47402/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47402/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47402
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47402
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47402

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47402/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
