The vulnerability arises when the Linux vt driver restores a stale Unicode buffer after leaving the alternate screen following a console resize. Because the saved buffer dimensions no longer match the current console size, operations that iterate over the buffer can read beyond its bounds, triggering a kernel oops. This out‑of‑bounds read corresponds to CWE‑131. The crash removes normal kernel operation and can lead to a denial of service.

The affected component is the Linux kernel’s vt console driver. No specific kernel version ranges are listed, so the issue may exist in any kernel revision that contains the legacy vt code prior to the fix commit referenced in the advisory. All active Linux hosts running an unpatched kernel are potentially affected until the fix is applied.

The CVSS score is 7.0, indicating a high severity for a kernel crash vulnerability. EPSS data is not available, so the current exploitation probability cannot be quantified. The issue remains outside the CISA KEV catalog, but the public commit indicates that the defect is noticeable enough to prompt an advisory. Exploitation requires local, interactive use of the alternate screen following a console resize; there is no known remote exploit path. The risk to systems running an unpatched kernel is high for local users, with a moderate likelihood of exploitation. Based on the description, the likely attack vector is local interactive console use, as no remote path is described.