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CVE Record

CVE-2021-47183: scsi: lpfc: Fix link down processing to address NULL pointer dereference

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: lpfc: Fix link down processing to address NULL pointer dereference If an FC link down transition while PLOGIs are outstanding to fabric well known addresses, outstanding ABTS requests may result in a NULL pointer dereference. Driver unload requests may hang with repeated "2878" log messages. The Link down processing results in ABTS requests for outstanding ELS requests. The Abort WQEs are sent for the ELSs before the driver had set the link state to down. Thus the driver is sending the Abort with the expectation that an ABTS will be sent on the wire. The Abort request is stalled waiting for the link to come up. In some conditions the driver may auto-complete the ELSs thus if the link does come up, the Abort completions may reference an invalid structure. Fix by ensuring that Abort set the flag to avoid link traffic if issued due to conditions where the link failed.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2021-47183 is a Linux kernel lpfc Fibre Channel driver flaw. During a Fibre Channel link-down event, pending fabric login activity can trigger a NULL pointer dereference or driver unload hang. Business risk is mainly service disruption on Linux hosts using this storage driver.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted infrastructure reliability issue. Prioritize affected storage-connected Linux hosts, especially production systems where Fibre Channel disruption could cause outages. Urgency is lower than internet-exposed remote code execution because no exploitation evidence is provided.

Technical view

The lpfc SCSI driver may issue aborts for outstanding ELS requests before marking the link down. If ELS requests are auto-completed and the link later recovers, abort completions can reference an invalid structure, causing NULL pointer dereference behavior.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using the lpfc Fibre Channel driver, typically hosts connected to Fibre Channel storage. Generic Linux systems without this driver or hardware path are less likely to be exposed.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not report active exploitation, public exploit use, or KEV listing. The described trigger is an FC link-down transition with outstanding PLOGIs and ABTS handling, suggesting local environment and hardware conditions matter.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE record, Linux stable commit references, and Debian LTS reference. No CVSS, CWE, exploit status, or detailed downstream package version data is included in the source bundle.

Mitigation direction

  • Apply Linux kernel vendor updates containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Check distribution advisories, including Debian LTS if applicable.
  • Prioritize storage hosts using the lpfc Fibre Channel driver.
  • Avoid direct deployment shortcuts; follow normal kernel maintenance procedures.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux hosts for lpfc driver usage and Fibre Channel connectivity.
  • Compare running kernel versions against vendor fixed kernel releases.
  • Review kernel logs for repeated 2878 lpfc messages or unload hangs.
  • Confirm updated kernels include the referenced stable commit lineage.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

Public sources used

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

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CVE-2021-47183 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
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.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
2ADP providers
5Source links

SSVC decision data

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

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

CVECVE Program Container
CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux70f3c073362ef7b5e55c92b83eb2dd9a7fb4e9bf, 70f3c073362ef7b5e55c92b83eb2dd9a7fb4e9bf, 70f3c073362ef7b5e55c92b83eb2dd9a7fb4e9bfunaffected
LinuxLinux2.6.38, 0, 5.10.241, 5.15.5, 5.16affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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