5.5

CVE-2021-46979: iio: core: fix ioctl handlers removal

Analyzed
AliasesUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46979
Published 28-02-2024Last modified 11-05-2026

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2021-46979 is a medium (CVSS 5.5) Double Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.22% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 12.8% of scored vulnerabilities.

Priority
Routine

Not severe (CVSS 5.5, local access); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources

Source freshness unavailable

How is this decided?
CVSS score
5.5/10
010
Medium · v3.1 (NVD)
EPSS score
0.22%
0%100%
Low · 0.00 pp in 30 days
KEVNot listedNot listed by any tracked catalog.
RansomwareNot flaggedNo ransomware use recorded.
Public exploits0No public exploits recorded

Timeline

  1. 28-02-2024
    PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
  2. 11-05-2026
    Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: iio: core: fix ioctl handlers removal Currently ioctl handlers are removed twice. For the first time during iio_device_unregister() then later on inside iio_device_unregister_eventset() and iio_buffers_free_sysfs_and_mask(). Double free leads to kernel panic. Fix this by not touching ioctl handlers list directly but rather letting code responsible for registration call the matching cleanup routine itself.

CVSS metrics

2 scores · 2 sources · 1 version

EPSS trend

Probability

0.22%

Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days

Percentile

13%

Versus all other CVEs

30-day change

No change 0.00 pp

From 0.22% on 04-10-2026

04-10-202603-11-2026

Known exploited

Compare KEV catalogs
CISA KEV

Not in the CISA KEV catalog.

ENISA CNW

Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.

CIRCL

Not in the CIRCL catalog.

Public exploits

0 found

No public exploits indexed.

Weaknesses

CWE · root cause

Affected systems

Version check

Known conditions: local access, low-privilege account, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.

Ubuntu62 products
  • linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.13All versions (No fix recorded)
  • linux-aws-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
  • linux≥ 8dedcc3eee3aceb37832176f0a1b03d5687acda3, < 11e1cae5da4096552f7c091476cbadbc0d1817da | ≥ 8dedcc3eee3aceb37832176f0a1b03d5687acda3, < ab6c935ba3a04317632f3b8b68675bdbaf395303 | ≥ 8dedcc3eee3aceb37832176f0a1b03d5687acda3, < 901f84de0e16bde10a72d7eb2f2eb73fcde8fa1a | 5.11
  • linux_kernel≥ 5.11, < 5.11.22 | ≥ 5.12, < 5.12.5 | 5.13:rc1

2 vendors · 64 products

References

6 links