---
id: CVE-2021-46960
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  cifs: Return correct error code from smb2_get_enc_key

  Avoid a warning if the error percolates back up:

  [440700.376476] CIFS VFS: \\otters.example.com crypt_message: C…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  cifs: Return correct error code from smb2_get_enc_key

  Avoid a warning if the error percolates back up:

  [440700.376476] CIFS VFS: \\otters.example.com crypt_message: C…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.11, < 4.14.233'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.15, < 4.19.191'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.20, < 5.4.118'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.36'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.11.20'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.12, < 5.12.3'
patched:
  - linux_kernel 5.12.3
published: '2024-02-27'
updated: '2026-08-04'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-46960'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83728cbf366e334301091d5b808add468ab46b27'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93f3339b22ba17e66f0808737467b70ba087eaec'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aaa0faa5c28a91c362352d6b35dc3ed10df56fb0'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b399c1a3ea0b9d10047ff266d65533df7f15532f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e486f8397f3f14a7cadc166138141fdb14379a54'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e94851629c49c65b4fbb29a5725ddfd7988f8f20'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f59a9242942fef0de7b926e438ba4eae65d4b4dd'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/83728cbf366e334301091d5b808add468ab46b27'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93f3339b22ba17e66f0808737467b70ba087eaec'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aaa0faa5c28a91c362352d6b35dc3ed10df56fb0'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b399c1a3ea0b9d10047ff266d65533df7f15532f'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e486f8397f3f14a7cadc166138141fdb14379a54'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e94851629c49c65b4fbb29a5725ddfd7988f8f20'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f59a9242942fef0de7b926e438ba4eae65d4b4dd'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
tags:
  - nvd
epss: 0.00633
epssPercentile: 0.4812
ingestedAt: '2026-08-04T10:39:38.557Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

cifs: Return correct error code from smb2_get_enc_key

Avoid a warning if the error percolates back up:

[440700.376476] CIFS VFS: \\otters.example.com crypt_message: Could not get encryption key
[440700.386947] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[440700.386948] err = 1
[440700.386977] WARNING: CPU: 11 PID: 2733 at /build/linux-hwe-5.4-p6lk6L/linux-hwe-5.4-5.4.0/lib/errseq.c:74 errseq_set+0x5c/0x70
...
[440700.397304] CPU: 11 PID: 2733 Comm: tar Tainted: G           OE     5.4.0-70-generic #78~18.04.1-Ubuntu
...
[440700.397334] Call Trace:
[440700.397346]  __filemap_set_wb_err+0x1a/0x70
[440700.397419]  cifs_writepages+0x9c7/0xb30 [cifs]
[440700.397426]  do_writepages+0x4b/0xe0
[440700.397444]  __filemap_fdatawrite_range+0xcb/0x100
[440700.397455]  filemap_write_and_wait+0x42/0xa0
[440700.397486]  cifs_setattr+0x68b/0xf30 [cifs]
[440700.397493]  notify_change+0x358/0x4a0
[440700.397500]  utimes_common+0xe9/0x1c0
[440700.397510]  do_utimes+0xc5/0x150
[440700.397520]  __x64_sys_utimensat+0x88/0xd0

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 4.11, < 4.14.233`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.15, < 4.19.191`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.20, < 5.4.118`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.5, < 5.10.36`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.11.20`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.12, < 5.12.3`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 5.12.3`