Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-47415 is a Linux kernel bug in the Intel iwlwifi wireless driver path. The issue is a possible NULL pointer dereference, which is mainly a system stability risk. The provided sources do not include a CVSS score, known exploitation, or business-impact evidence beyond the kernel fix description.
Executive priority
Treat this as routine kernel hygiene unless affected systems are business-critical wireless endpoints with stability concerns. There is no source-backed evidence of active exploitation, but kernel NULL dereference issues can still cause outages if triggered.
Technical view
The fix adds a NULL check around te_data->vif in __iwl_mvm_remove_time_event() before dereferencing it. The CVE record lists Linux kernel versions including 5.14, 5.14.12, and 5.15 as affected, with upstream stable commit references provided as fixes.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on Linux systems using affected kernels with the iwlwifi MVM driver, commonly associated with Intel Wi-Fi hardware. Systems without that driver or hardware are less likely to be exposed, but the source bundle does not provide CPEs or distro package mappings.
Exploitation context
The source bundle says KEV is false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation, public exploit code, or remote attack conditions. Based only on the description, this appears to be a kernel reliability flaw caused by unsafe pointer handling.
Researcher notes
The CVE data is sparse: no CVSS, CWE, CPEs, exploit details, or distro-specific advisories are included. Analysis should center on commit ancestry, kernel branch mapping, and whether the iwlwifi MVM code path is reachable on managed assets.
Mitigation direction
- Apply Linux kernel updates that include the referenced stable fixes.
- Check OS vendor advisories for backported fixes and package-specific guidance.
- Prioritize laptops or endpoints using Intel Wi-Fi and affected kernel branches.
- If patching is delayed, review vendor-supported workarounds for iwlwifi exposure.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux systems running affected 5.14 or 5.15 kernel branches.
- Confirm whether the iwlwifi MVM driver is present or in use.
- Verify installed kernels include the referenced stable commit fixes.
- Review kernel logs for related iwlwifi crashes or NULL dereference reports.
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.
CVE-2021-47415 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
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
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
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/432d8185e9ffce97e3866ca71c39b0807a456920CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/24d5f16e407b75bc59d5419b957a9cab423b2681CVE 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.