Server failing to boot with error kernel panic- not syncing: Fatal exception in thinkpad_acpi:thinkpad

Issue

• After an IBM recommended firmware update, server fails to boot with a kernel panic of the following signature:

Process modprobe (pid:4233, threadinfo ffff81067c9ee000, task ffff810678da4860)
Stack:  ffffffff884f12cf ffff81067b918540 ffff81067b918540 ffffffff804536d3
 ffff81067c9efef8 0000000000026720 00000000ffffffea 0000000000000000
 ffffffff8004d28c 0000003000000010 ffff81067c9efee8 ffff81067c9efe28
Call Trace:
 [<ffffffff800fd28c>] sscanf+0x49/0x51
 [<ffffffff885056e0>] :thinkpad_acpi:thinkpad_acpi_module_init+0x118/0x887
 [<ffffffff80065644>] __down_read+0x12/0x92
 [<ffffffff80022127>] __up_read+0x19/0x7f
 [<ffffffff800a7fe0>] sys_init_module+0xaf/0x1f2
 [<ffffffff8005e116>] system_call+0x7e/0x83

Code: 41 80 3c 24 00 0f 85 20 fa ff ff 48 83 c4 18 44 89 e8 5b 5d
RIP  [<ffffffff80153b2b>] vsscanf+0x5f6/0x611
 RSP <ffff81067c9efdc0>
CR2: 0000000000000000
 <0>Kernel Panic - not syncing: Fatal Exception