Kernel crash via disconnected IT66121 connector dereference
Published May 21, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the IT66121 DRM bridge driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel by opening its sound card. The it66121_audio_get_eld() callback dereferences a missing connector while fetching ELD data instead of returning an all-zero buffer. The IT66121 driver must be present, no monitor must be attached, and opening the associated sound device can terminate kernel operation.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the IT66121 DRM bridge driver in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel by opening its sound card. The it66121_audio_get_eld() callback dereferences a missing connector while fetching ELD data instead of returning an all-zero buffer. The IT66121 driver must be present, no monitor must be attached, and opening the associated sound device can terminate kernel operation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-52861
- Published
- May 21, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 21, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.19
- Affected versionversion=e0fd83dbe92426e4f09b01111d260d2a7dc72fdb <1374561a7cbc9a000b77bb0473bb2c19daf18d86
- Affected versionversion=e0fd83dbe92426e4f09b01111d260d2a7dc72fdb <1669d7b21a664aa531856ce85b01359a376baebc
- Affected versionversion=e0fd83dbe92426e4f09b01111d260d2a7dc72fdb <2c80c4f0d2845645f41cbb7c9304c8efbdbd4331
- Affected versionversion=e0fd83dbe92426e4f09b01111d260d2a7dc72fdb <d0375f6858c4ff7244b62b02eb5e93428e1916cd
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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