In the Linux kernel for ARM Integrator devices, early initialization of the interrupt controller performs a regmap lookup before the memory allocator is ready. The lookup attempts to allocate memory, but the heap is not yet initialized, so the function either returns -ENOMEM or dereferences a NULL pointer. This results in a kernel BUG and an immediate crash during boot, rendering the system unusable until a reboot occurs.

Any ARM‑based board running an unpatched Linux kernel before the commit that moves this code into standard machine initialization is vulnerable. The crash is observed in kernel builds based on the 6.15 rc series before the fix. All builds that target the ARM Integrator/CP device tree are affected until the patch is applied; the specific affected versions are those before the referenced commit.

The fault occurs during the earliest stage of the boot process and requires the vulnerable code path to be executed. No remote attack surface is documented. The EPSS score is below 1%, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating a low probability of real‑world exploitation. When triggered, the kernel panics, causing a local denial of service that forces a reboot and potentially disrupts critical services if unattended.