CVE-2021-47583: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: mxl111sf: change mutex_init() location Syzbot reported, that mxl111sf_ctrl_msg() uses uninitialized mutex. The problem was in wrong mutex_init() location. Previous mutex_init(&state->msg_lock) call was in ->init() function, but dvb_usbv2_init() has this order of calls: dvb_usbv2_init() dvb_usbv2_adapter_init() dvb_usbv2_adapter_frontend_init() props->frontend_attach() props->init() Since mxl111sf_* devices call mxl111sf_ctrl_msg() in ->frontend_attach() internally we need to initialize state->msg_lock before frontend_attach(). To achieve it, ->probe() call added to all mxl111sf_* devices, which will simply initiaize mutex.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2021-47583, 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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