CVE-2025-21948

Kernel crash via unclaimed appleir input device

Published Apr 1, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel appleir driver allows local users to crash affected kernels through a malformed HID report. A fieldless report prevents appleir_input_configured from running and hidinput_connect from claiming an input device, yet probe succeeds and appleir_raw_event passes the missing device to input_event. Exploitation requires local access capable of presenting crafted HID input to appleir; the bounded consequence is a kernel oops or panic that interrupts the host.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel appleir driver allows local users to crash affected kernels through a malformed HID report. A fieldless report prevents appleir_input_configured from running and hidinput_connect from claiming an input device, yet probe succeeds and appleir_raw_event passes the missing device to input_event. Exploitation requires local access capable of presenting crafted HID input to appleir; the bounded consequence is a kernel oops or panic that interrupts the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-21948
Published
Apr 1, 2025
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 1, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=3.10
  2. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <0df1ac8ee417ad76760ff076faa4518a4d861894
  3. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <2ff5baa9b5275e3acafdf7f2089f74cccb2f38d1
  4. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <68cdf6710f228dfd74f66ec61fbe636da2646a73
  5. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <6db423b00940b05df2a1265d3c7eabafe9f1734c
  6. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <8d39eb8c5e14f2f0f441eed832ef8a7b654e6fee
  7. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <b1d95d733cd6e74f595653daddcfc357bea461e8
  8. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <d335fce8b88b2353f4bb20c631698e20384e3610
  9. Affected versionversion=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <fc69e2c3219d433caabba4b5d6371ba726a4b37f

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3.10; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <0df1ac8ee417ad76760ff076faa4518a4d861894; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <2ff5baa9b5275e3acafdf7f2089f74cccb2f38d1; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <68cdf6710f228dfd74f66ec61fbe636da2646a73; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <6db423b00940b05df2a1265d3c7eabafe9f1734c; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <8d39eb8c5e14f2f0f441eed832ef8a7b654e6fee; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <b1d95d733cd6e74f595653daddcfc357bea461e8; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <d335fce8b88b2353f4bb20c631698e20384e3610; version=9a4a5574ce427c364d81746fc7fb82d86b5f1a7e <fc69e2c3219d433caabba4b5d6371ba726a4b37f

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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