CVE-2021-4441: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: spi: spi-zynq-qspi: Fix a NULL pointer dereference in zynq_qspi_exec_mem_op() In zynq_qspi_exec_mem_op(), kzalloc() is directly used in memset(), which could lead to a NULL pointer dereference on failure of kzalloc(). Fix this bug by adding a check of tmpbuf. This bug was found by a static analyzer. The analysis employs differential checking to identify inconsistent security operations (e.g., checks or kfrees) between two code paths and confirms that the inconsistent operations are not recovered in the current function or the callers, so they constitute bugs. Note that, as a bug found by static analysis, it can be a false positive or hard to trigger. Multiple researchers have cross-reviewed the bug. Builds with CONFIG_SPI_ZYNQ_QSPI=m show no new warnings, and our static analyzer no longer warns about this code.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2021-4441, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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