CVE-2021-38202 — fs/nfsd/trace.h in the Linux kernel before 5.13.4 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial...

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

• Documented patch — cdn.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
• Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux Kernel, Netapp Element Software, Netapp Hci Bootstrap Os…).
2. The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
3. Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
4. Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds Read

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 3.19%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

• Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
• Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

• 2026
• Record published
  Oct 14, 2026
• Fix documented
  Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
• Affected products added · linux/linux kernel, netapp/hci bootstrap os, netapp/hci management node, netapp/solidfire, netapp/element software
  Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
• CVSS changed · 7.5
  Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
• Source status changed · → Modified
  Oct 14, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
• Record created in this database
  Oct 14, 2026 · Alertas do Telegram
• 2021
• CVE published
  Aug 8, 2021 · mitre

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

• 2× References added · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026
• 1× Official description updated · Oct 14, 2026 – Oct 14, 2026

References

7 on the record

• github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/7b08cf62b1239a4322427d677ea9363f0ab677c6
  Patch, Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_MISC, NIST National Vulnerability Database
• cdn.kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v5.x/ChangeLog-5.13.4
  Mailing List, Patch, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_MISC, NIST National Vulnerability Database
• security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210902-0010/
  Third Party Advisory, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database
• nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-38202
  GitHub Security Advisories
• security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20210902-0010
  GitHub Security Advisories
• github.com/advisories/GHSA-j8f3-cxf7-rj22
  GitHub Security Advisories
• cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html
  NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Related CVEs (same products)

• Medium CVE-2026-98164 KVM: x86/mmu: Check write tracking in all address spaces 16d
• High CVE-2026-98163 cgroup: Avoid iteration of dying tasks with zero refcount 19d
• Medium CVE-2026-98162 smb/server: fix tree connection leak in smb2_tree_connect() 20d
• Medium CVE-2026-98160 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs… 20d
• Medium CVE-2026-98161 Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions in Linux Linux Kernel 20d
• Medium CVE-2026-100079 Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime in Linux Linux Kernel 20d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

• No CISA SSVC assessment.
• No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
• No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
• No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2021-38202 is "fs/nfsd/trace.h in the Linux kernel before 5.13.4 might allow remote attackers to cause a denial...", rated High. It affects Linux Kernel (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 3.19% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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