Local kernel crash via unchecked error pointer
Published Jul 12, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Error-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.8 allows local users to crash the system during MLX90635 driver initialization. In mlx90635_probe(), failure of devm_regmap_init_i2c() can leave regmap_ee as an error pointer, but the code checks regmap and later dereferences regmap_ee. Reaching the fault requires local low-privileged access, an MLX90635 I2C device, and failed EEPROM regmap initialization; impact is limited to a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Error-pointer dereference in the Linux kernel 6.8 allows local users to crash the system during MLX90635 driver initialization. In mlx90635_probe(), failure of devm_regmap_init_i2c() can leave regmap_ee as an error pointer, but the code checks regmap and later dereferences regmap_ee. Reaching the fault requires local low-privileged access, an MLX90635 I2C device, and failed EEPROM regmap initialization; impact is limited to a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-40933
- Published
- Jul 12, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-754, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 12, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=6.8
- Affected versionversion=a1d1ba5e1c28b9887be1bdb3630caf0b532ec980 <5a5595ae8cc7cdaa1a10b56a26ddbe3429245c6c
- Affected versionversion=a1d1ba5e1c28b9887be1bdb3630caf0b532ec980 <a23c14b062d8800a2192077d83273bbfe6c7552d
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Technologies
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Your stack
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