Kernel crash via zero-length I2C message
Published Dec 24, 2025 · Updated Dec 24, 2025
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux gl861 DVB USB driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a malformed I2C message. The gl861_i2c_master_xfer function accepts a zero-length message with a NULL buffer because its checks fail to reject msg[i].len equal to zero, then dereferences msg[i].buf[0]. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access capable of routing the crafted message through the GL861 driver, and the bounded consequence is a host-kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux gl861 DVB USB driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a malformed I2C message. The gl861_i2c_master_xfer function accepts a zero-length message with a NULL buffer because its checks fail to reject msg[i].len equal to zero, then dereferences msg[i].buf[0]. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access capable of routing the crafted message through the GL861 driver, and the bounded consequence is a host-kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-54066
- Published
- Dec 24, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 24, 2025
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 24, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 24, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2a33fc57133d6f39d62285df6706aeb1714967f1
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <578b67614ae0e4fba3945b66a4c8f9ae77115bcb
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <72af676551efe820e309a6c7681c2c4372f37376
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <b97719a66970601cd3151a3e2020f4454a1c4ff6
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <dfcd3c010209927b9f45b860f046635dc32e32e1
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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