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CVE-2021-3493

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CVE-2021-3493

Published: Apr 17, 2021

Modified: Oct 21, 2025

PUBLISHED

CVSS v3.1

8.8

HIGH

Description

The overlayfs implementation in the linux kernel did not properly validate with respect to user namespaces the setting of file capabilities on files in an underlying file system. Due to the combination of unprivileged user namespaces along with a patch carried in the Ubuntu kernel to allow unprivileged overlay mounts, an attacker could use this to gain elevated privileges.

VendorProductVersions

Ubuntu

linux kernel

affected
5.8 kernel - < 5.8.0-50.56
affected
5.4 kernel - < 5.4.0-72.80
affected
4.15 kernel - < 4.15.0-142.146
affected
4.4 kernel - < 4.4.0-209.241

Weaknesses (CWE)

CVSS v3.1 Details

CVSS v3.1 Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Attack Vector

Local

Attack Complexity

Low

Privileges Required

Low

User Interaction

None

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

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