In the Linux kernel, the alps HID driver contains a use‑after‑free flaw that occurs when the second input device fails to register. The driver frees the device but leaves a dangling pointer in data->input2, which can be dereferenced by the raw event handler while the device is still active. This memory corruption can crash the kernel or be exploited by a locally connected device to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges (CWE‑825).

All Linux kernel builds that include the alps HID driver are affected. No specific kernel version numbers were provided, so any kernel containing the vulnerable code path is at risk.

The CVSS score of 7.1 indicates a high severity vulnerability, but the EPSS score is less than 1%, showing a low probability of exploitation. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog. The likely attack vector is local; a malicious HID device can trigger the use‑after‑free by sending raw reports during the registration failure window, which may lead to a denial of service or privilege escalation. Based on the description, exploitation requires physical or local access to the device and does not rely on remote or network-based access.