Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel bug in the drm/msm graphics driver where a submitqueue reference was not released on all paths. The public record does not describe data theft, privilege escalation, or remote compromise. Treat it as a kernel maintenance risk until vendor advisories clarify operational impact.
Executive priority
Handle through normal kernel patch governance unless affected systems are exposed in high-risk device fleets. The current public evidence does not support emergency response, but kernel fixes should not be deferred indefinitely.
Technical view
CVE-2021-47530 fixes a reference leak in drm/msm wait_fence handling. When a fence was already signalled, the submitqueue reference could be retained instead of dropped. The source identifies affected Linux kernel versions around 5.15 through 5.15.7 and 5.16, with fixes linked in stable kernel commits.
Likely exposure
Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using affected kernel builds with the drm/msm driver path present or enabled. The provided sources do not identify distributions, devices, configurations, or cloud images by name.
Exploitation context
CISA KEV is false, and the provided bundle contains no evidence of active exploitation or public weaponization. The sources describe a code fix, not an exploit scenario or attacker prerequisites.
Researcher notes
The record lacks CVSS, CWE, distribution mapping, and detailed impact analysis. Research should focus on affected kernel lineage, driver reachability, and whether the leak can cause meaningful resource exhaustion under realistic local workloads.
Mitigation direction
- Check vendor kernel advisories for fixed packages.
- Upgrade to a kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
- Prioritize systems using drm/msm graphics support.
- Track distribution backports rather than relying only on upstream version numbers.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux kernel versions across affected assets.
- Confirm whether drm/msm support is present or enabled.
- Verify vendor changelogs include the CVE or referenced commits.
- Check CISA KEV and vendor advisories for updated exploitation evidence.
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-2021-47530 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/4c3cdbf2540319ea674f1f3c54f31f14c6f39647CVE reference, Linux
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ea0006d390a28012f8187717aea61498b2b341e5CVE 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.