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Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2021-28698

🗓️ 27 Aug 2025 00:00:00Reported by TenableType 
nessus
 nessus
🔗 www.tenable.com👁 2 Views

Linux hosts with unpatched CVE-2021-28698 may experience long Xen grant-table loops that can starve CPU.

Related
Refs
Code
ReporterTitlePublishedViews
Family
ATTACKERKB
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202119:15
attackerkb
AlpineLinux
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202119:15
alpinelinux
BDU FSTEC
The vulnerability of Xen hypervisors relates to the execution of a loop with an unavailable exit condition, allowing a malicious actor to cause a service failure.
7 Apr 202200:00
bdu_fstec
Circl
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202122:28
circl
CNNVD
Xen 安全漏洞
25 Aug 202100:00
cnnvd
Citrix
Citrix Hypervisor Security Update
7 Sep 202110:10
citrix
CVE
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202118:32
cve
Cvelist
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202118:32
cvelist
Debian
[SECURITY] [DSA 4977-1] xen security update
20 Sep 202119:08
debian
Debian CVE
CVE-2021-28698
27 Aug 202118:32
debiancve
Rows per page
#%NASL_MIN_LEVEL 80900
##
# (C) Tenable, Inc.
##

include('compat.inc');

if (description)
{
  script_id(256142);
  script_version("1.7");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_modification_date", value:"2026/07/12");

  script_cve_id("CVE-2021-28698");

  script_name(english:"Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2021-28698");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be
patched.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied
patch available.

  - long running loops in grant table handling In order to properly monitor resource use, Xen maintains
    information on the grant mappings a domain may create to map grants offered by other domains. In the
    process of carrying out certain actions, Xen would iterate over all such entries, including ones which
    aren't in use anymore and some which may have been created but never used. If the number of entries for a
    given domain is large enough, this iterating of the entire table may tie up a CPU for too long, starving
    other domains or causing issues in the hypervisor itself. Note that a domain may map its own grants, i.e.
    there is no need for multiple domains to be involved here. A pair of cooperating guests may, however,
    cause the effects to be more severe. (CVE-2021-28698)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2021-28698");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"There is no known solution at this time.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"agent", value:"unix");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:N/C:N/I:N/A:C");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2021-28698");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No known exploits are available");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vendor_unpatched", value:"true");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2021/08/27");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2025/08/27");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"local");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:24.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.04");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:25.10");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:26.04:-:lts");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:xen");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"generated_plugin", value:"current");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"Misc.");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2025-2026 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("ssh_get_info2.nasl", "set_linux_os_id.nasl");
  script_require_keys("Host/cpu", "Host/local_checks_enabled", "global_settings/vendor_unpatched", "Host/OS/identifier");
  script_require_ports("Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-16.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-18.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-20.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-22.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-24.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.04", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-25.10", "Host/OS/Ubuntu Linux-26.04");

  exit(0);
}

if (!get_kb_item("global_settings/vendor_unpatched")) exit(0, "Unpatched Vulnerabilities Detection not active.");
if (!get_kb_item("Host/local_checks_enabled")) audit(AUDIT_LOCAL_CHECKS_NOT_ENABLED);
if (empty_or_null(get_one_kb_item("Host/Debian/dpkg-l"))) audit(AUDIT_PACKAGE_LIST_MISSING);

include('linux_unpatched.inc');

var distro_constraints_array = {
  "Ubuntu Linux-16.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "16.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libxen-4.6"},
          {"reference": "libxen-dev"},
          {"reference": "libxenstore3.0"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.4-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.4-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.4-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.5-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.5-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.5-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-utils-4.6"},
          {"reference": "xen-utils-common"},
          {"reference": "xenstore-utils"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-18.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "18.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "libxen-4.9"},
          {"reference": "libxen-dev"},
          {"reference": "libxenstore3.0"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.6-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.7-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.7-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.7-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.8-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.8-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.8-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.9-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.9-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-hypervisor-4.9-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-amd64"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-arm64"},
          {"reference": "xen-system-armhf"},
          {"reference": "xen-utils-4.9"},
          {"reference": "xen-utils-common"},
          {"reference": "xenstore-utils"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-20.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "20.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-22.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "22.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-24.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "24.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-25.10": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "25.10",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "Ubuntu Linux-26.04": {
    "package_manager": "dpkg-l",
    "constraints": [
      {
        "release": "26.04",
        "pkgs": [
          {"reference": "xen"}
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
};

var distro_constraints_values = linux_unpatched::get_distro_constraints(distro_constraints_arr:distro_constraints_array);
if (empty_or_null(distro_constraints_values)) audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
var report = linux_unpatched::check_unpatched_constraints(distro_constraints_values:distro_constraints_values);

if (!empty_or_null(report))
{
  security_report_v4(
      port       : 0,
      severity   : SECURITY_WARNING,
      extra      : report
  );
  exit(0);
}
else
{
  audit(AUDIT_HOST_NOT, 'affected');
}

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