# CVE-2021-47639: KVM: x86/mmu: Zap _all_ roots when unmapping gfn range in TDP MMU

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM TDP MMU allows attackers to cause a system crash 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-2021-47639, GHSA-7fq4-85x5-74rc, UBUNTU-CVE-2021-47639

## What is CVE-2021-47639?

CVE-2021-47639 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:

KVM: x86/mmu: Zap _all_ roots when unmapping gfn range in TDP MMU

Zap both valid and invalid roots when zapping/unmapping a gfn range, as
KVM must ensure it holds no references to the freed page after returning
from the unmap operation.  Most notably, the TDP MMU doesn't zap invalid
roots in mmu_notifier callbacks.  This leads to use-after-free and other
issues if the mmu_notifier runs to completion while an invalid root
zapper yields as KVM fails to honor the requirement that there must be
_no_ references to the page after the mmu_notifier returns.

The bug is most easily reproduced by hacking KVM to cause a collision
between set_nx_huge_pages() and kvm_mmu_notifier_release(), but the bug
exists between kvm_mmu_notifier_invalidate_range_start() and memslot
updates as well.  Invalidating a root ensures pages aren't accessible by
the guest, and KVM won't read or write page data itself, but KVM will
trigger e.g. kvm_set_pfn_dirty() when zapping SPTEs, and thus completing
a zap of an invalid root _after_ the mmu_notifier returns is fatal.

  WARNING: CPU: 24 PID: 1496 at arch/x86/kvm/../../../virt/kvm/kvm_main.c:173 [kvm]
  RIP: 0010:kvm_is_zone_device_pfn+0x96/0xa0 [kvm]
  Call Trace:
   <TASK>
   kvm_set_pfn_dirty+0xa8/0xe0 [kvm]
   __handle_changed_spte+0x2ab/0x5e0 [kvm]
   __handle_changed_spte+0x2ab/0x5e0 [kvm]
   __handle_changed_spte+0x2ab/0x5e0 [kvm]
   zap_gfn_range+0x1f3/0x310 [kvm]
   kvm_tdp_mmu_zap_invalidated_roots+0x50/0x90 [kvm]
   kvm_mmu_zap_all_fast+0x177/0x1a0 [kvm]
   set_nx_huge_pages+0xb4/0x190 [kvm]
   param_attr_store+0x70/0x100
   module_attr_store+0x19/0x30
   kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x119/0x1b0
   new_sync_write+0x11c/0x1b0
   vfs_write+0x1cc/0x270
   ksys_write+0x5f/0xe0
   do_syscall_64+0x38/0xc0
   entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae
   </TASK>

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-47639?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-47639?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2021-47639 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-47639 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-2021-47639 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-47639 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-2021-47639 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-2021-47639/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47639/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-47639
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-47639
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-47639

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-47639/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.