CVE-2021-4454
7.5 · HIGHOverview
CVE-2021-4454 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on March 27, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
Technical Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
can: j1939: fix errant WARN_ON_ONCE in j1939_session_deactivate
The conclusion "j1939_session_deactivate() should be called with a
session ref-count of at least 2" is incorrect. In some concurrent
scenarios, j1939_session_deactivate can be called with the session
ref-count less than 2. But there is not any problem because it
will check the session active state before session putting in
j1939_session_deactivate_locked().
Here is the concurrent scenario of the problem reported by syzbot
and my reproduction log.
cpu0 cpu1
j1939_xtp_rx_eoma
j1939_xtp_rx_abort_one
j1939_session_get_by_addr [kref == 2]
j1939_session_get_by_addr [kref == 3]
j1939_session_deactivate [kref == 2]
j1939_session_put [kref == 1]
j1939_session_completed
j1939_session_deactivate
WARN_ON_ONCE(kref < 2)
===================================
Remediation
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | >= 5.4.138, < 5.4.232 | Affected |
References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2021-4454?
CVE-2021-4454 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting linux linux_kernel. It was published on March 27, 2025 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (HIGH).
How severe is CVE-2021-4454?
This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5, rated HIGH. It can be exploited remotely over the network. No authentication or special privileges are required for exploitation.
How do I fix or remediate CVE-2021-4454?
Check the references section for vendor advisories and patches from linux. Update linux_kernel to the latest patched version. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.
How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2021-4454?
CyberStrike's AI-powered security agents can automatically detect CVE-2021-4454 across your infrastructure using autonomous pentesting, DAST scanning, and HackBrowser. The platform continuously monitors for known vulnerabilities and provides actionable remediation guidance prioritized by real-world exploitability.
How CyberStrike Helps
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