CVE-2025-68804

Kernel crash via stale EC device access

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel cros_ec_ishtp driver allows attackers to crash a system after driver unbinding. During cros_ec_ishtp_remove(), omission of cros_ec_unregister() leaves cros_ec_console_log_work accessing the EC device after its lifetime ends. Reachability requires the ChromeOS EC ISHTP driver to be bound and an actor able to unbind it locally; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severityUnavailable
Unscored
EPSS probability0.20%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel cros_ec_ishtp driver allows attackers to crash a system after driver unbinding. During cros_ec_ishtp_remove(), omission of cros_ec_unregister() leaves cros_ec_console_log_work accessing the EC device after its lifetime ends. Reachability requires the ChromeOS EC ISHTP driver to be bound and an actor able to unbind it locally; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-68804
Published
Jan 13, 2026
Updated
Jan 13, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 13, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 13, 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=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <24a2062257bbdfc831de5ed21c27b04b5bdf2437
  2. Affected versionversion=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <393b8f9bedc7806acb9c47cefdbdb223b4b6164b
  3. Affected versionversion=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <4701493ba37654b3c38b526f6591cf0b02aa172f
  4. Affected versionversion=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <8dc1f5a85286290dbf04dd5951d020570f49779b
  5. Affected versionversion=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <944edca81e7aea15f83cf9a13a6ab67f711e8abd
  6. Affected versionversion=5.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <24a2062257bbdfc831de5ed21c27b04b5bdf2437; version=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <393b8f9bedc7806acb9c47cefdbdb223b4b6164b; version=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <4701493ba37654b3c38b526f6591cf0b02aa172f; version=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <8dc1f5a85286290dbf04dd5951d020570f49779b; version=26a14267aff218c60b89007fdb44ca392ba6122c <944edca81e7aea15f83cf9a13a6ab67f711e8abd; version=5.3

Published CVSS scores

No CVSS assessment is available in this record.

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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