LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2021-47577: io-wq: check for wq exit after adding new worker task_work

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io-wq: check for wq exit after adding new worker task_work We check IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT before attempting to create a new worker, and wq exit cancels pending work if we have any. But it's possible to have a race between the two, where creation checks exit finding it not set, but we're in the process of exiting. The exit side will cancel pending creation task_work, but there's a gap where we add task_work after we've canceled existing creations at exit time. Fix this by checking the EXIT bit post adding the creation task_work. If it's set, run the same cancelation that exit does.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This is a Linux kernel race condition in io-wq worker handling during shutdown. The public record does not provide CVSS, impact category, or exploitation evidence, so business risk cannot be ranked precisely from the supplied sources alone.

Executive priority

Track and remediate through normal Linux kernel patch management unless vendor guidance raises severity. The lack of CVSS and exploitation evidence prevents a defensible emergency rating from the supplied sources.

Technical view

The flaw occurs when worker creation checks IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT before exit begins, then adds task_work after exit-side cancellation has already run. The kernel fix adds a second EXIT check after task_work creation and applies the same cancellation path when exit is detected.

Likely exposure

Exposure is limited to Linux systems running affected kernel builds identified by the CVE data. The supplied version data is incomplete after flattening, so confirm against kernel stable commits and distribution advisories.

Exploitation context

The source bundle does not cite active exploitation, public exploit availability, or CISA KEV listing. Treat exploitation status as unconfirmed rather than assumed absent.

Researcher notes

The bug is a post-check race around IO_WQ_BIT_EXIT and task_work cancellation. Sources describe the fix logic but do not provide crashability, privilege boundary, proof of concept, or affected distribution package details.

Mitigation direction

  • Identify Linux kernel versions across servers, appliances, containers hosts, and embedded systems.
  • Update to vendor-supported kernels containing the referenced upstream stable fixes.
  • Check distribution advisories for backported fixes and package-specific version names.
  • Prioritize externally exposed or multi-tenant Linux hosts if affected.
  • Monitor CVE and vendor records for added severity or exploit information.

Validation and detection

  • Compare running kernel builds with vendor advisories for CVE-2021-47577.
  • Verify whether referenced stable commits are present or backported.
  • Confirm patch status through package changelogs, not only upstream version numbers.
  • Record any systems awaiting vendor fixes as accepted residual risk.
  • Recheck CISA KEV and vendor notices during patch planning.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

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

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2021-47577 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
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
3Source 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

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

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux685fe7feedb96771683437107ba72131410e2350, 685fe7feedb96771683437107ba72131410e2350unaffected
LinuxLinux5.13, 0, 5.15.11, 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.