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CVE Record

CVE-2021-3782: An internal reference count is held on the buffer pool, incremented every time a new buffer is created from...

An internal reference count is held on the buffer pool, incremented every time a new buffer is created from the pool. The reference count is maintained as an int; on LP64 systems this can cause the reference count to overflow if the client creates a large number of wl_shm buffer objects, or if it can coerce the server to create a large number of external references to the buffer storage. With the reference count overflowing, a use-after-free can be constructed on the wl_shm_pool tracking structure, where values may be incremented or decremented; it may also be possible to construct a limited oracle to leak 4 bytes of server-side memory to the attacking client at a time.

MediumCVSS 6.6Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-3782 is a Wayland shared-memory buffer accounting flaw. A local, authenticated client can drive an internal reference counter high enough to overflow, potentially leading to use-after-free behavior, service disruption, limited memory disclosure, or limited data manipulation in the graphical server context.

Executive priority

Treat this as a moderate-priority local security update. It is not evidenced as actively exploited or remotely reachable, but it can affect availability and confidentiality on graphical Linux systems where untrusted local clients are possible.

Technical view

Wayland tracks wl_shm_pool references with an int. On LP64 systems, creating many wl_shm buffer objects or external references can overflow that count. The resulting incorrect lifetime tracking can enable use-after-free on the wl_shm_pool structure and a limited 4-byte-at-a-time server memory disclosure oracle.

Likely exposure

The only affected product named in the bundle is wayland 1.20.91. Exposure is most relevant to Linux desktop or graphical environments running that Wayland version where untrusted or lower-privileged local clients can connect to a Wayland session.

Exploitation context

The CVSS vector is local, low complexity, low privilege, no user interaction. The bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. Practical abuse appears limited to local Wayland client contexts, not remote network exploitation.

Researcher notes

Key weakness is CWE-190 integer overflow in wl_shm_pool reference counting. The provided evidence identifies possible use-after-free and limited memory disclosure, but does not provide confirmed exploit maturity, patch commit details, downstream distro status, or affected versions beyond wayland 1.20.91.

Mitigation direction

  • Check freedesktop and distribution advisories for the fixed Wayland package version.
  • Upgrade affected Wayland packages through supported OS or distribution channels.
  • Reduce exposure of shared graphical sessions to untrusted local users where possible.
  • Monitor local desktop or compositor crashes until patched.
  • Track vendor guidance if no fixed package is available for your platform.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems running Wayland and identify installed package versions.
  • Compare installed versions against vendor or distribution security advisories.
  • Prioritize systems with shared workstations or untrusted local user access.
  • Review logs for unusual compositor crashes or local session instability.
  • After updating, confirm graphical sessions still start and operate normally.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
3

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cwe · low confidence lookup

CWE-190: Exact CWE lookup

Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.

Open ATT&CK lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-3782 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Medium
CVSS
6.6 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

1CVSS vectors
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
2Source links

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
6.6CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H1.84.7Primary CVE score

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

6.6Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2021-3782Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
n/awaylandwayland 1.20.91Listed
Weakness

CWE details

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.

CWE-190 · source CWE mapping

Integer Overflow or Wraparound

Integer Overflow or Wraparound represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.