How severe is CVE-2021-46998?

CVE-2021-46998 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2021-46998 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (15th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2021-46998?

CVE-2021-46998 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2021-46998?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2021-46998 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2021-46998 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2021-33646.

When was CVE-2021-46998 published?

CVE-2021-46998 was published on 2024-02-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2021-46998

CVE-2021-46998 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-416.

Key facts

Severity: High (CVSS 3.x base score 7.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (15th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2021-33646
Weakness: CWE-416
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2024-02-28
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethernet:enic: Fix a use after free bug in enic_hard_start_xmit In enic_hard_start_xmit, it calls enic_queue_wq_skb(). Inside enic_queue_wq_skb, if some error happens, the skb will be freed by dev_kfree_skb(skb). But the freed skb is still used in skb_tx_timestamp(skb). My patch makes enic_queue_wq_skb() return error and goto spin_unlock() incase of error. The solution is provided by Govind. See https://lkml.org/lkml/2021/4/30/961.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2021-46998?: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethernet:enic: Fix a use after free bug in enic_hard_start_xmit In enic_hard_start_xmit, it calls enic_queue_wq_skb(). Inside enic_queue_wq_skb, if some error happens, the skb will be freed by dev_kfree_skb(skb). But the freed skb is still used in skb_tx_timestamp(skb). My patch makes enic_queue_wq_skb() return error and goto spin_unlock() incase of error. The solution is provided by Govind. See https://lkml.org/lkml/2021/4/30/961.
How severe is CVE-2021-46998?: CVE-2021-46998 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 7.8, rated high severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2021-46998 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (15th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2021-46998?: CVE-2021-46998 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2021-46998?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its high severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2021-46998 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2021-46998 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2021-33646.
When was CVE-2021-46998 published?: CVE-2021-46998 was published on 2024-02-28 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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