The race condition in the Linux kernel’s hwmon corsair‑psu driver triggers a use‑after‑free (UAF) vulnerability when the device probe fails after IO has been started. The bug manifests when hid_hw_stop() clears the io_started flag while holding the driver_input_lock, allowing an attacker to exploit a dangling reference to a freed hidraw structure through subsequent input reports. The vulnerability does not command arbitrary user input; it causes uncontrolled kernel memory access, which can be leveraged for executing code with kernel privileges.

This flaw affects all Linux kernel implementations that include the hwmon corsair‑psu driver without the patch that calls hid_device_io_stop() before hid_hw_stop(). The specific kernel version dependency is not stated, so any kernel containing the unpatched driver is potentially vulnerable.

The severity of the flaw is substantial due to the kernel privilege escalation potential; however, no public exploit or scoring such as CVSS is available, and the EPSS score is not reported. The vulnerability appears local and requires a kernel probe failure, making exploitation non‑trivial but feasible for privileged users or attackers with sufficient influence over device handling. It is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating no known active exploitation but the risk remains high if the kernel is unpatched.