Skip to main content

Linux Kernel CVE-2026-43251

| EUVDEUVD-2026-27812 MEDIUM
NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)
2026-05-06 Linux GHSA-27qm-738j-qww9
Denial Of Service Linux Null Pointer Dereference
5.5
CVSS 3.1 · NVD
Share

Severity by source

NVD PRIMARY
5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI
6.2 MEDIUM

udev auto-loads the driver on USB insert without requiring a logged-in user, so PR:N is more accurate; impact is availability-only via kernel crash.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE
MEDIUM
qualitative
Red Hat
5.5 MEDIUM
qualitative

Primary rating from NVD.

CVSS VectorNVD

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
Analysis Generated
Jul 24, 2026 - 00:55 vuln.today
CVSS changed
May 11, 2026 - 18:52 NVD
5.5 (MEDIUM)
Patch available
May 06, 2026 - 13:32 EUVD
CVE Published
May 06, 2026 - 11:28 nvd
MEDIUM 5.5

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

HID: prodikeys: Check presence of pm->input_ep82

Fake USB devices can send their own report descriptors for which the input_mapping() hook does not get called. In this case, pm->input_ep82 stays NULL, which leads to a crash later.

This does not happen with the real device, but can be provoked by imposing as one.

AnalysisAI

NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel HID prodikeys driver allows a local attacker with USB access to crash the kernel by presenting a crafted USB device that impersonates a Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI controller. When the fake device's HID report descriptors bypass the input_mapping() callback, pm->input_ep82 remains NULL; subsequent dereference of that pointer causes a kernel panic, resulting in a complete availability loss. No public exploit or active exploitation has been identified; EPSS is 0.02% (7th percentile), consistent with the local-only, denial-of-service-only impact profile.

Technical ContextAI

The vulnerability is in the Linux kernel HID subsystem's prodikeys driver (drivers/hid/hid-prodikeys.c), which supports Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI USB combo keyboard/MIDI devices. When a USB device matching the Prodikeys VID/PID enumerates, the kernel invokes the driver's input_mapping() hook to parse HID report descriptors and initialize internal state, including setting pm->input_ep82. A malicious or crafted USB device can present alternate report descriptors that cause the kernel to skip the input_mapping() hook entirely, leaving pm->input_ep82 as a NULL pointer. CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference) is the root cause: a subsequent code path that unconditionally dereferences pm->input_ep82 triggers an invalid memory access, causing a kernel panic. CPE data (cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) confirms the vulnerability spans all versions of the upstream Linux kernel prior to the stable-tree patches. USB module auto-loading via udev means the driver activates the moment the device is inserted, with no user interaction required.

RemediationAI

The primary fix is to upgrade the Linux kernel to a patched stable release: 5.10.252, 5.15.202, 6.1.165, 6.6.128, 6.12.75, 6.18.16, 6.19.6, or 7.0. Upstream stable-tree commits are available at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f580c79683356632f12f2c2029f2fe936d953aa1 and the other commit refs listed in the CVE references. Ubuntu users should apply USN-8492-1 packages (https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8492-1); Red Hat and SUSE users should consult their respective vendor errata. Where immediate kernel patching is not feasible, the hid-prodikeys module can be disabled by running 'modprobe -r hid-prodikeys' and adding 'blacklist hid-prodikeys' to /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf, then updating the initramfs; this prevents the driver from loading entirely. The trade-off is that legitimate Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI USB devices will cease to function. Additionally, deploying USB device allowlisting (e.g., USBGuard with a policy that blocks unknown VID/PID combinations) prevents untrusted USB devices from enumerating on the host, eliminating the attack surface entirely without affecting other USB devices.

Same weakness CWE-476 – NULL Pointer Dereference

View all
CVE-2016-0742 HIGH
7.5
CVE-2014-3470 MEDIUM
4.3
CVE-2017-3730 HIGH POC
7.5
CVE-2017-3169 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2016-4957 HIGH
7.5
CVE-2015-3194 HIGH
7.5
CVE-2026-21525 MEDIUM
6.2
CVE-2017-0016 MEDIUM
5.9

Same technique Denial Of Service

View all
CVE-2015-5119 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2011-2462 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2011-0611 HIGH POC
8.8
CVE-2012-1889 HIGH POC
8.8
CVE-2012-0507 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2014-1761 HIGH POC
7.8
CVE-2015-5122 CRITICAL POC
9.8
CVE-2011-0609 HIGH POC
7.8

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Medium
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Fixed
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 15 SP7 Fixed

Share

CVE-2026-43251 vulnerability details – vuln.today
Back

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy