Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-4460 is a Linux kernel issue in the AMD KFD graphics/compute driver. A local low-privileged user could potentially trigger undefined behavior tied to SDMA queue handling, with rated impact to confidentiality and availability. The provided sources do not show active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority kernel maintenance issue for shared Linux GPU environments. It is not presented as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, but the confidentiality and availability impacts justify timely patching where AMD KFD is used.
Technical view
The flaw is in drm/amdkfd SDMA queue bit-shift logic. If queue count is zero, the code can shift by the operand width, which is undefined behavior. The fix adjusts handling when counts reach operand bit width. CVSS 3.1 is 7.1, local attack vector, low privileges required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions with AMD KFD/amdkfd functionality present, especially shared GPU, workstation, or compute environments with local user access. Internet-facing exposure is not indicated by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The CVSS vector indicates local exploitation requiring low privileges and no user interaction. The bundle marks KEV as false, and no cited source claims exploitation in the wild. Evidence of practical exploitability is incomplete in the provided material.
Researcher notes
The public description centers on undefined behavior from shift-out-of-bounds in drm/amdkfd, while CWE is listed as CWE-125. The source bundle gives commit references but not a detailed exploit narrative, affected distribution matrix, or operational workaround.
Mitigation direction
- Update affected Linux kernels using vendor or distribution-supported packages.
- Confirm the update includes one of the referenced stable kernel fixes.
- Prioritize shared GPU and compute hosts with untrusted local users.
- If updates are unavailable, follow vendor guidance for temporary risk reduction.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux hosts running AMD GPU or KFD-capable workloads.
- Compare kernel versions against affected ranges and vendor advisories.
- Verify patched kernels include the relevant stable commit backport.
- Check whether untrusted users have local access to exposed GPU systems.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
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-125: 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 lookupCVE-2021-4460 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.1 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
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.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe 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.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H1.85.2CISA-ADPVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.1HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c0356ef2498c1a250fe3846f30293f828737309CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1874b0ef1426b873de94c61861e38f29a8df714cCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3fdc5182700910a685d23df57d65166e8556a266CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9069b1b542de8f3bbffef868aff41521b21485cfCVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50e2fc36e72d4ad672032ebf646cecb48656efe0CVE reference, Linux
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Out-of-bounds Read
Out-of-bounds Read represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.