CVE-2021-47603: audit: improve robustness of the audit queue handling
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
audit: improve robustness of the audit queue handling
If the audit daemon were ever to get stuck in a stopped state the
kernel's kauditd_thread() could get blocked attempting to send audit
records to the userspace audit daemon. With the kernel thread
blocked it is possible that the audit queue could grow unbounded as
certain audit record generating events must be exempt from the queue
limits else the system enter a deadlock state.
This patch resolves this problem by lowering the kernel thread's
socket sending timeout from MAX_SCHEDULE_TIMEOUT to HZ/10 and tweaks
the kauditd_send_queue() function to better manage the various audit
queues when connection problems occur between the kernel and the
audit daemon. With this patch, the backlog may temporarily grow
beyond the defined limits when the audit daemon is stopped and the
system is under heavy audit pressure, but kauditd_thread() will
continue to make progress and drain the queues as it would for other
connection problems. For example, with the audit daemon put into a
stopped state and the system configured to audit every syscall it
was still possible to shutdown the system without a kernel panic,
deadlock, etc.; granted, the system was slow to shutdown but that is
to be expected given the extreme pressure of recording every syscall.
The timeout value of HZ/10 was chosen primarily through
experimentation and this developer's "gut feeling". There is likely
no one perfect value, but as this scenario is limited in scope (root
privileges would be needed to send SIGSTOP to the audit daemon), it
is likely not worth exposing this as a tunable at present. This can
always be done at a later date if it proves necessary.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Linux kernel audit subsystem reliability flaw. If the userspace audit daemon becomes stopped, the kernel audit thread can block while sending audit records, allowing audit queues to grow and potentially causing severe system slowdown, deadlock, panic, or shutdown trouble under heavy audit load.
Executive priority
Treat as a reliability and audit-continuity issue, not a confirmed remote compromise risk. Prioritize patching on compliance-sensitive Linux servers, heavily audited systems, and production hosts where audit daemon failure could affect availability or forensic visibility.
Technical view
The issue is in kauditd audit queue handling. The fix lowers the audit socket send timeout and changes queue management so kauditd can continue draining queues during audit daemon connection problems. The source notes the scenario is limited because root privileges would be needed to stop the audit daemon.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to Linux systems using affected kernel versions and kernel audit/auditd. Risk is highest on hosts with heavy audit event generation or aggressive audit rules. Exact distro exposure requires checking vendor kernel packages against the referenced stable fixes.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is cited, and KEV is false. The source describes a local operational abuse or failure condition requiring the audit daemon to be stopped, with root privileges needed for the cited SIGSTOP scenario.
Researcher notes
The public record lacks CVSS, CWE, and exploit evidence. The core condition is kauditd blocking on userspace audit delivery when auditd is stopped, with some audit events exempt from queue limits to avoid deadlock. Validate fixes through kernel package provenance, not assumptions from upstream version strings alone.
Mitigation direction
Update to a vendor kernel containing the referenced stable audit fixes.
Check Linux distribution advisories for CVE-2021-47603 package status.
Monitor auditd health and alert on stopped or unresponsive audit service states.
Review high-volume audit rules that could create extreme audit pressure.
Validation and detection
Inventory Linux kernel versions across systems running auditd.
Confirm installed kernel changelogs include CVE-2021-47603 or referenced fixes.
Check whether auditd is enabled and required on exposed hosts.
Review monitoring for audit queue backlog, auditd failures, and kernel audit warnings.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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