CVE-2021-28711
Publication date 5 January 2022
Last updated 10 September 2026
Ubuntu priority
Cvss 3 Severity Score
Description
Rogue backends can cause DoS of guests via high frequency events T[his CNA information record relates to multiple CVEs; the text explains which aspects/vulnerabilities correspond to which CVE.] Xen offers the ability to run PV backends in regular unprivileged guests, typically referred to as "driver domains". Running PV backends in driver domains has one primary security advantage: if a driver domain gets compromised, it doesn't have the privileges to take over the system. However, a malicious driver domain could try to attack other guests via sending events at a high frequency leading to a Denial of Service in the guest due to trying to service interrupts for elongated amounts of time. There are three affected backends: * blkfront patch 1, CVE-2021-28711 * netfront patch 2, CVE-2021-28712 * hvc_xen (console) patch 3, CVE-2021-28713
From the Ubuntu Security Team
Jürgen Groß discovered that the Xen subsystem within the Linux kernel did not adequately limit the number of events driver domains (unprivileged PV backends) could send to other guest VMs. An attacker in a driver domain could use this to cause a denial of service in other guest VMs.
Status
| Package | Ubuntu Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| linux-gke | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Fixed 5.4.0-1066.69
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Ignored end of standard support | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-azure-fde-5.15 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Not affected
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-xilinx | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-nvidia-bos | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-nvidia-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-hwe-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-oem-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-aws-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-riscv-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-azure-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-azure-fde-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-gcp-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-oracle-7.0 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Fixed 5.4.0-105.119
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Fixed 4.15.0-169.177
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial |
Fixed 4.4.0-239.273
|
|
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Ignored end of standard support, was needed | |
| linux-allwinner | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy | Not in release | |
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-allwinner-5.19 | 26.04 LTS resolute | Not in release |
| 24.04 LTS noble | Not in release | |
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal | Not in release | |
| 18.04 LTS bionic | Not in release | |
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Not in release | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Not in release | |
| linux-aws | 26.04 LTS resolute |
Not affected
|
| 24.04 LTS noble |
Not affected
|
|
| 22.04 LTS jammy |
Not affected
|
|
| 20.04 LTS focal |
Fixed 5.4.0-1069.73
|
|
| 18.04 LTS bionic |
Fixed 4.15.0-1121.129
|
|
| 16.04 LTS xenial | Ignored end of standard support, was needed | |
| 14.04 LTS trusty | Ignored end of standard support, was needed | |
| linux-aws-5.0 | 26.04 LTS |