The io_uring subsystem in the Linux kernel allowed the MAX_RW_COUNT limit to be bypassed in the PROVIDE_BUFFERS operation, which led to negative values being usedin mem_rw when reading /proc//mem. This could be used to create a heap overflow leading to arbitrary code execution in the kernel. It was addressed via commit d1f82808877b ("io_uring: truncate lengths larger than MAX_RW_COUNT on provide buffers") (v5.13-rc1) and backported to the stable kernels in v5.12.4, v5.11.21, and v5.10.37. It was introduced in ddf0322db79c ("io_uring: add IORING_OP_PROVIDE_BUFFERS") (v5.7-rc1).
CVE-2021-3491
This high-severity CVE scores 7.8 under NVD CVSS v3. EPSS exploit probability: 0.6%, top 54% of all CVEs by exploit prediction. GitHub Security Advisory data not yet ingested — confidence will rise once GHSA publishes (typical lag: hours to days for open-source ecosystem CVEs; never for infrastructure-only CVEs).
- High severity, but no confirmed exploitation yet
No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.
- CVSS v3
- 7.8
- EG Score
- 7.8(medium)
- EG Risk
- 40(Track)EG Risk 40/100SSVC: Track
EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).
How it’s computedSeverity78% × 45%Exploitation1% × 40%Automatability30% × 15%Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence. - EPSS
- 46.4%
- KEV
- Not listed
Published
June 4, 2021
Last Modified
November 21, 2024
References (12)
- security@ubuntuhttps://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d1f82808877bb10d3deee7cf3374a4eb3fb582db
- security@ubuntuhttps://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210716-0004/
- security@ubuntuhttps://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4949-1
- security@ubuntuhttps://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4950-1
- security@ubuntuhttps://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/11/13
- security@ubuntuhttps://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-589/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d1f82808877bb10d3deee7cf3374a4eb3fb582db
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210716-0004/
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4949-1
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-4950-1
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2021/05/11/13
- af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-21-589/
Weakness Classification(2)
MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.
Data Freshness Timeline
(refreshed 13× in last 7d / 51× in last 30d)
Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.
Showing the most recent 100 of 103 total refreshes for this CVE.
- 2026-07-23 02:01 UTCEG score recompute
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Related CVEs(same CWE)
Same CWE
10 shownCWE-787 · CWE-131
- CVE-2007-0158EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2007-0899EG 9.8CRITICAL
- CVE-2004-1363EG 9.8EPSS 95%CRITICAL
- CVE-2004-0434EG 9.8EPSS 94%CRITICAL
- CVE-2003-0899EG 9.8EPSS 97%CRITICAL
- CVE-2002-1347EG 9.8EPSS 94%CRITICAL
- CVE-2001-0248EG 9.8EPSS 95%CRITICAL
- CVE-2001-0249EG 9.8EPSS 97%CRITICAL
- CVE-2010-20115EG 9.3CRITICAL
- CVE-2010-4398NVD 7.8EG 9.0 KEVEPSS 95%HIGH
Frequently asked(5)
What is CVE-2021-3491?
When was CVE-2021-3491 disclosed?
Is CVE-2021-3491 actively exploited?
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-3491?
How do I remediate CVE-2021-3491?
Dependency Blast Radius
Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2021-3491
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