Every CVE Search/ Get API key

CVE-2021-38604

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c...

7.5 HighFix available

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
None
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Exploit likelihood

3.72%Up 2.9 points since Aug 13, 2021
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

NVD Score used 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
CVE-2021-38604
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVSS 2.0
5.0 MediumAV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:P
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
CVE List 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
CVE-2021-38604
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2021-25044 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
EUVD-2021-25044
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-p3v7-wjmc-7fh8 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c...

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
GHSA-p3v7-wjmc-7fh8
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness
CWE-476
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVAZL-6442 7.5

CVE-2021-38604 affecting package glibc for versions less than 2.35-1

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
AZL-6442
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVBELL-CVE-2021-38604 7.5

CVE-2021-38604 does not affect BellSoft software

Record
BELL-CVE-2021-38604
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
Show 8 moreShow less
OSV 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
CVE-2021-38604
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVOESA-2021-1328 7.5

glibc security update

The GNU C Library project provides the core libraries for the GNU system and GNU/Linux systems, as well as many other systems that use Linux as the kernel. These libraries provide critical APIs including ISO C11, POSIX.1-2008, BSD, OS-specific APIs and more. These APIs include such foundational facilities as open, read, write, malloc, printf, getaddrinfo, dlopen, pthread_create, crypt, login, exit and more.

Security Fix(es):

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.(CVE-2021-38604)

Record
OESA-2021-1328
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2021-38604 7.5

In librt in the GNU C Library (aka glibc) through 2.34, sysdeps/unix/sysv/linux/mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, leading to a NULL pointer dereference. NOTE: this vulnerability was introduced as a side effect of the CVE-2021-33574 fix.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2021-38604
CVSS 3.1
7.5 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCLSA-2021-1629395067 No score

Fix of CVE: CVE-2021-33574, CVE-2021-35942, CVE-2021-38604

  • Adopt pthread_attr_copy functionality, test case is included
  • CVE-2021-33574: avoid use-after-free vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-35942: avoid out-of-bounds read via signed integer overflow in array index
  • CVE-2021-38604: considered. No NULL pointer dereference is possible
Record
CLSA-2021-1629395067
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCLSA-2021-1634922609 No score

Fixed CVEs in glibc: CVE-2021-38604, CVE-2021-35942, CVE-2021-33574

  • Adopt pthread_attr_copy functionality, test case is included
  • CVE-2021-33574: avoid use-after-free vulnerability
  • CVE-2021-35942: avoid out-of-bounds read via signed integer overflow in array index
  • CVE-2021-38604: considered. No NULL pointer dereference is possible
Record
CLSA-2021-1634922609
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCLSA-2021-1635459187 No score

Fix CVE(s): CVE-2021-33574, CVE-2021-38604, CVE-2021-35942

  • debian/patches/any/add-pthread-attr-copy.patch: adopt pthread_attr_copy functionality.
  • debian/patches/any/add-test-for-pthread-attr-copy.patch: add test case for it.
  • SECURITY UPDATE: Use-after-free in mq_notify
    • debian/patches/any/CVE-2021-33574.patch: use __pthread_attr_copy to completely duplicate thread attribute, avoid NULL pointer dereference in helper_thread as per CVE-2021-38604.
    • CVE-2021-33574
    • CVE-2021-38604
  • SECURITY UPDATE: Out-of-bounds read in wordexp
    • debian/patches/any/CVE-2021-35942.patch: use strtoul and 'unsigned long' to prevent signed integer overflow in array index.
    • CVE-2021-35942
Record
CLSA-2021-1635459187
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVCLSA-2021-1635459213 No score

Fix CVE(s): CVE-2021-33574, CVE-2021-38604, CVE-2021-35942

  • debian/patches/any/add-pthread-attr-copy.patch: adopt pthread_attr_copy functionality.
  • debian/patches/any/add-test-for-pthread-attr-copy.patch: add test case for it.
  • SECURITY UPDATE: Use-after-free in mq_notify
    • debian/patches/any/CVE-2021-33574.patch: use __pthread_attr_copy to completely duplicate thread attribute, avoid NULL pointer dereference in helper_thread as per CVE-2021-38604.
    • CVE-2021-33574
    • CVE-2021-38604
  • SECURITY UPDATE: Out-of-bounds read in wordexp
    • debian/patches/any/CVE-2021-35942.patch: use strtoul and 'unsigned long' to prevent signed integer overflow in array index.
    • CVE-2021-35942
Record
CLSA-2021-1635459213
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVMGASA-2021-0404 No score

Updated glibc packages fix security issue

The recent fix for CVE-2021-33574 released in MGASA-2021-0308 introduced a NULL pointer dereference because mq_notify.c mishandles certain NOTIFY_REMOVED data, that will result in segmentation fault. This update adds the missing NULL pointer check to resolve this issue (CVE-2021-38604).

Record
MGASA-2021-0404
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
glibc
Azure Linux:2
before 2.35-1
2.35-1
glibc
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-common
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-devel
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-headers
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-static
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-utils
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
nscd
TuxCare:CentOS:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-common
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
Show 23 moreShow less
Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
glibc-devel
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-headers
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-static
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-utils
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
nscd
TuxCare:OracleLinux:6
before 2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
2.12-2.213.el6.cloudlinux.els
glibc-doc
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
glibc-source
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc-bin
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc-dev-bin
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-dev
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-dev-i386
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-dev-x32
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-i386
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-pic
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
libc6-x32
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
locales
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
locales-all
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
multiarch-support
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
nscd
TuxCare:Ubuntu:16.04
before 2.23-0ubuntu11.4
2.23-0ubuntu11.4
glibc
Mageia:8
before 2.32-18.mga8
2.32-18.mga8
glibc
openEuler:20.03-LTS-SP1
before 2.28-77.oe1
2.28-77.oe1
glibc
openEuler:20.03-LTS-SP2
before 2.28-77.oe1
2.28-77.oe1

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
affected
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2021-38604 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Gnu Glibc, published August 12, 2021. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 3.72%, the 89th percentile. Fixed in glibc 2.35-1.

References

Show 19 moreShow less
MoveEnter Open