# CVE-2021-47638: ubifs: rename_whiteout: Fix double free for whiteout_ui->data

> A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's UBIFS filesystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code.

- **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:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2021-47638, GHSA-qm9f-hj62-fcm2, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47638

## What is CVE-2021-47638?

CVE-2021-47638 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Feb 2025. 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:

ubifs: rename_whiteout: Fix double free for whiteout_ui->data

'whiteout_ui->data' will be freed twice if space budget fail for
rename whiteout operation as following process:

rename_whiteout
  dev = kmalloc
  whiteout_ui->data = dev
  kfree(whiteout_ui->data)  // Free first time
  iput(whiteout)
    ubifs_free_inode
      kfree(ui->data)	    // Double free!

KASAN reports:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: double-free or invalid-free in ubifs_free_inode+0x4f/0x70
Call Trace:
  kfree+0x117/0x490
  ubifs_free_inode+0x4f/0x70 [ubifs]
  i_callback+0x30/0x60
  rcu_do_batch+0x366/0xac0
  __do_softirq+0x133/0x57f

Allocated by task 1506:
  kmem_cache_alloc_trace+0x3c2/0x7a0
  do_rename+0x9b7/0x1150 [ubifs]
  ubifs_rename+0x106/0x1f0 [ubifs]
  do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80

Freed by task 1506:
  kfree+0x117/0x490
  do_rename.cold+0x53/0x8a [ubifs]
  ubifs_rename+0x106/0x1f0 [ubifs]
  do_syscall_64+0x35/0x80

The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff88810238bed8 which
belongs to the cache kmalloc-8 of size 8
==================================================================

Let ubifs_free_inode() free 'whiteout_ui->data'. BTW, delete unused
assignment 'whiteout_ui->data_len = 0', process 'ubifs_evict_inode()
-> ubifs_jnl_delete_inode() -> ubifs_jnl_write_inode()' doesn't need it
(because 'inc_nlink(whiteout)' won't be excuted by 'goto out_release',
 and the nlink of whiteout inode is 0).

Weakness: CWE-415 (Double Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47638?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47638?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47638 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47638 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-2021-47638 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47638 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Feb 2025. 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-2021-47638 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-2021-47638/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47638/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47638
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47638
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47638

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47638/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.