Local kernel crash via uninitialized GPIO logging
Published Feb 27, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel gpiolib allows local users to crash the kernel during failed GPIO chip initialization. gpiochip_get_ngpios() invokes chip_*() logging macros before gpiodev is initialized when reached through bgpio_init(), causing the macros to dereference a NULL pointer. Low-privileged local access and the GPIO initialization error path are required; the bounded consequence is a system crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel gpiolib allows local users to crash the kernel during failed GPIO chip initialization. gpiochip_get_ngpios() invokes chip_*() logging macros before gpiodev is initialized when reached through bgpio_init(), causing the macros to dereference a NULL pointer. Low-privileged local access and the GPIO initialization error path are required; the bounded consequence is a system crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-21783
- Published
- Feb 27, 2025
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 27, 2025CVE 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?
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- Affected versionversion=55b2395e4e92adc492c6b30ac109eb78250dcd9d <189fb76215e479c10731baabb50f1a352d2078f5
- Affected versionversion=55b2395e4e92adc492c6b30ac109eb78250dcd9d <4d9b2b62e1136d10f661ec4c0c268140b6f74f4f
- Affected versionversion=55b2395e4e92adc492c6b30ac109eb78250dcd9d <7b4aebeecbbd5b5fe73e35fad3f62ed21aa7ef44
- Affected versionversion=55b2395e4e92adc492c6b30ac109eb78250dcd9d <a7052afa9eae2239e25943baa8817a6a56e8aa68
- Affected versionversion=6.6
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
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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