Kernel crash via uninitialized input-device pointer
Published Dec 4, 2025 · Updated Jun 2, 2026
NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux cros_ec_keyb driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a malformed EC key-matrix event. In a buttons-and-switches-only configuration, cros_ec_keyb_probe leaves ckdev->idev null, but cros_ec_keyb_process passes it to input_event. Reachability requires Chrome EC input hardware to deliver the unexpected event; Siemens also confirms affected RUGGEDCOM RST2428P firmware before V4.0, while the event's origin remains unknown.
Summary
What happened
NULL-pointer dereference in the Linux cros_ec_keyb driver allows local users to crash the kernel through a malformed EC key-matrix event. In a buttons-and-switches-only configuration, cros_ec_keyb_probe leaves ckdev->idev null, but cros_ec_keyb_process passes it to input_event. Reachability requires Chrome EC input hardware to deliver the unexpected event; Siemens also confirms affected RUGGEDCOM RST2428P firmware before V4.0, while the event's origin remains unknown.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-40263
- Published
- Dec 4, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 2, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-20, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 2, 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=ca1eadbfcd36bec73f2a2111c28e8c7e9e8ae6c0 <2d251c15c27e2dd16d6318425d2f7260cbd47d39
- Affected versionversion=ca1eadbfcd36bec73f2a2111c28e8c7e9e8ae6c0 <6d81068685154535af06163eb585d6d9663ec7ec
- Affected versionversion=ca1eadbfcd36bec73f2a2111c28e8c7e9e8ae6c0 <9cf59f4724a9ee06ebb06c76b8678ac322e850b7
- Affected versionversion=ca1eadbfcd36bec73f2a2111c28e8c7e9e8ae6c0 <d74864291cb8bd784d44d1d02e87109cf88666bb
- Affected versionversion=ca1eadbfcd36bec73f2a2111c28e8c7e9e8ae6c0 <e08969c4d65ac31297fcb4d31d4808c789152f68
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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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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