CVE-2021-46940: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tools/power turbostat: Fix offset overflow issue in index converting The idx_to_offset() function returns type int (32-bit signed), but MSR_PKG_ENERGY_STAT is u32 and would be interpreted as a negative number. The end result is that it hits the if (offset < 0) check in update_msr_sum() which prevents the timer callback from updating the stat in the background when long durations are used. The similar issue exists in offset_to_idx() and update_msr_sum(). Fix this issue by converting the 'int' to 'off_t' accordingly.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2021-46940, 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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