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OpenAdvisories
High · 7.8 CVE-2021-47555 EUVD-2021-34557

net: vlan: fix underflow for the real_dev refcnt

Published May 24, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.4 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.4 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-bluefield Package: linux-fips Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.4 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.4 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-ibm-5.4 Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-kvm Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.4 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-5.4 Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: vlan: fix underflow for the real_dev refcnt

Inject error before dev_hold(real_dev) in register_vlan_dev(),
and execute the following testcase:

ip link add dev dummy1 type dummy
ip link add name dummy1.100 link dummy1 type vlan id 100
ip link del dev dummy1

When the dummy netdevice is removed, we will get a WARNING as following:

=======================================================================
refcount_t: decrement hit 0; leaking memory.
WARNING: CPU: 2 PID: 0 at lib/refcount.c:31 refcount_warn_saturate+0xbf/0x1e0

and an endless loop of:

=======================================================================
unregister_netdevice: waiting for dummy1 to become free. Usage count = -1073741824

That is because dev_put(real_dev) in vlan_dev_free() be called without
dev_hold(real_dev) in register_vlan_dev(). It makes the refcnt of real_dev
underflow.

Move the dev_hold(real_dev) to vlan_dev_init() which is the call-back of
ndo_init(). That makes dev_hold() and dev_put() for vlan's real_dev
symmetrical.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 5.14.19 – < 5.15, 5.4.160 – < 5.4.163, 5.10.80 – < 5.10.83, 5.15.3 – < 5.15.6 5.15

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 5.15.15-1 —
Debian 13 linux 5.15.15-1 —
Debian 12 linux 5.15.15-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi-realtime No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +22 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux 5.4.0-100.113 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-aws 5.4.0-1066.69 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-azure 5.4.0-1070.73 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-bluefield 5.4.0-1028.31 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gcp 5.4.0-1065.69 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +26 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gkeop 5.4.0-1034.35 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-ibm 5.4.0-1015.16 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-kvm 5.4.0-1056.58 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-oracle 5.4.0-1064.68 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-raspi 5.4.0-1053.60 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-aws-5.4 5.4.0-1066.69~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-azure-5.4 5.4.0-1070.73~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +13 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp-5.4 5.4.0-1065.69~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-hwe-5.4 5.4.0-100.113~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-ibm-5.4 5.4.0-1015.16~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-oracle-5.4 5.4.0-1064.68~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-raspi-5.4 5.4.0-1053.60~18.04.1 —
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS linux-fips 5.4.0-1043.49 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES 15 SP5 kernel-64kb +6 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLES 15 SP5 kernel-azure +2 5.14.21-150500.33.57.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2372-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2019-1
SLES 15 SP5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1.150500.6.31.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLES 15 SP4 kernel-64kb +6 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLES 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
Show 10 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES for SAP 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP4 kernel-docs +4 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-default 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1.150500.6.31.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150500.13.58.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2394-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2008-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150400.15.85.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2385-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150400.15.85.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2385-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-default 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP5_Update_15 +3 1-150500.11.3.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2394-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP4_Update_28 1-150400.9.3.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE HPC 15 SP4 kernel-64kb +5 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SLE HPC 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SUSE Real Time Module 15 SP5 kernel-rt +3 5.14.21-150500.13.58.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2394-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2008-1
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-syms +3 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1.150400.24.60.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-syms +2 5.14.21-150400.24.125.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2495-1
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Leap 15.5 dtb-aarch64 +10 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-azure +2 5.14.21-150500.33.57.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2372-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2019-1
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.68.1.150500.6.31.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2190-1
openSUSE Leap 15.5 kernel-rt +3 5.14.21-150500.13.58.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2394-1, SUSE-SU-2024:2008-1
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 kernel-default 5.14.21-150500.55.73.1 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1
openSUSE Leap Micro 5.5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.73.1.150500.6.33.8 SUSE-SU-2024:2939-1

Advisories 9

References