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CVE Record

CVE-2021-47044: sched/fair: Fix shift-out-of-bounds in load_balance()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sched/fair: Fix shift-out-of-bounds in load_balance() Syzbot reported a handful of occurrences where an sd->nr_balance_failed can grow to much higher values than one would expect. A successful load_balance() resets it to 0; a failed one increments it. Once it gets to sd->cache_nice_tries + 3, this *should* trigger an active balance, which will either set it to sd->cache_nice_tries+1 or reset it to 0. However, in case the to-be-active-balanced task is not allowed to run on env->dst_cpu, then the increment is done without any further modification. This could then be repeated ad nauseam, and would explain the absurdly high values reported by syzbot (86, 149). VincentG noted there is value in letting sd->cache_nice_tries grow, so the shift itself should be fixed. That means preventing: """ If the value of the right operand is negative or is greater than or equal to the width of the promoted left operand, the behavior is undefined. """ Thus we need to cap the shift exponent to BITS_PER_TYPE(typeof(lefthand)) - 1. I had a look around for other similar cases via coccinelle: @expr@ position pos; expression E1; expression E2; @@ ( E1 >> E2@pos | E1 >> E2@pos ) @cst depends on expr@ position pos; expression expr.E1; constant cst; @@ ( E1 >> cst@pos | E1 << cst@pos ) @script:python depends on !cst@ pos << expr.pos; exp << expr.E2; @@ # Dirty hack to ignore constexpr if exp.upper() != exp: coccilib.report.print_report(pos[0], "Possible UB shift here") The only other match in kernel/sched is rq_clock_thermal() which employs sched_thermal_decay_shift, and that exponent is already capped to 10, so that one is fine.

HighCVSS 7.7Not KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysishigh

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This is a Linux kernel scheduler flaw found by syzbot. Under repeated failed load balancing, a counter can grow high enough to trigger undefined shift behavior. The supplied CVSS rates it high because a local, unauthenticated actor could potentially affect confidentiality and availability.

Executive priority

Treat as a high-priority kernel maintenance item, especially on shared Linux infrastructure. There is no provided evidence of active exploitation, so urgency should focus on patch hygiene and exposure reduction rather than emergency incident response.

Technical view

The issue is in sched/fair load_balance(). sd->nr_balance_failed can keep increasing when active balancing cannot place a task on env->dst_cpu. That value can become an unsafe shift exponent, creating undefined behavior. The fix caps the shift exponent to the left-hand type width minus one.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions identified in the source bundle, including listed 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, and 5.13-era entries. Distro backports may change practical exposure, so asset owners should verify exact kernel package status.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. CVSS describes local attack vector, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction. Public evidence here supports treating it as a local kernel risk, not a confirmed exploited-in-the-wild issue.

Researcher notes

The record maps to a scheduler undefined-behavior fix, despite CWE-125 being listed. The strongest evidence is the upstream stable commit set and CVSS vector. The provided affected-version data is coarse, so distro-specific advisory validation is important.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply supported Linux vendor or distribution kernel updates containing the stable fix.
  • Check whether your kernel package backports one of the referenced stable commits.
  • Prioritize shared, multi-user, container-hosting, and untrusted workload systems.
  • If backport status is unclear, follow vendor guidance rather than assuming version numbers alone.
  • Monitor CVE and vendor advisories for updated affected-version mapping.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory running kernel versions across Linux hosts and images.
  • Compare distro package changelogs against CVE-2021-47044 and referenced stable commits.
  • Confirm rebooted hosts are running the updated kernel, not only installed packages.
  • Check container hosts separately; containers share the host kernel.
  • Document exceptions where vendor support states the kernel is unaffected or backported.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

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

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cwe · low confidence lookup

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 lookup
cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-47044 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
High
CVSS
7.7 (3.1)
Known Exploited
No
Published

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
5Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

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
7.7CVSS 3.1HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H2.55.2CISA-ADP

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

7.7High
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2021-47044Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

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

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
cvssV3_1other:ssvc
CVECVE Program Container
Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux5a7f555904671c0737819fe4d19bd6143de3f6c0, 5a7f555904671c0737819fe4d19bd6143de3f6c0, 5a7f555904671c0737819fe4d19bd6143de3f6c0, 5a7f555904671c0737819fe4d19bd6143de3f6c0unaffected
LinuxLinux5.10, 0, 5.10.37, 5.11.21, 5.12.4, 5.13affected
Weakness

CWE details

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

CWE-125 · source CWE mapping

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.