CVE-2025-71073

Local privilege escalation via lkkbd workqueue race

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Jan 13, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux Kernel lkkbd driver allows local users to gain kernel privileges by racing device removal. The interrupt handler queues reinitialization work, while disconnect and connect-error cleanup can free its device structure before that work dereferences it. The path requires low-privileged local access and an active DEC LK keyboard driver; successful exploitation can modify kernel memory or crash the system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.14%
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 lkkbd driver allows local users to gain kernel privileges by racing device removal. The interrupt handler queues reinitialization work, while disconnect and connect-error cleanup can free its device structure before that work dereferences it. The path requires low-privileged local access and an active DEC LK keyboard driver; successful exploitation can modify kernel memory or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71073
Published
Jan 13, 2026
Updated
Jan 13, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

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

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3a7cd1397c209076c371d53bf39a55c138f62342
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <cffc4e29b1e2d44ab094cf142d7c461ff09b9104
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e58c88f0cb2d8ed89de78f6f17409d29cfab6c5c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <3a7cd1397c209076c371d53bf39a55c138f62342; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <cffc4e29b1e2d44ab094cf142d7c461ff09b9104; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e58c88f0cb2d8ed89de78f6f17409d29cfab6c5c

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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