[SOLVED] Ubuntu 18.04. hangs shortly after boot with a kernel > 5.4.0-54-generic

[ubone]

My system has recently started hanging shortly after boot when using a kernel version newer than 5.4.0-54-generic.
I can reproduce the hanging behaviour with kernel versions 5.4.0-56-generic through 5.4.64-generic (latest at the moment).
The system works for a few seconds but then it becomes unresponsive. It is not possible to open applications, run commands in a terminal or even shutdown anymore.

Steps to reproduce:
1. Boot
2. Choose a newer kernel image
3. Login
4. In a terminal, enter sudo ls (first time works)
5. Enter sudo ls again (now hangs)

Changing a to console with Ctrl+Alt+FX works shortly but then it hangs as well.
If I am quick enough I can still click on the reboot menu button but then it still hangs and cannot complete the shutdown citing several stop jobs which are still running and do not complete.
Perhaps interestingly, this also creates problems with the WLAN adapter and I have no internet connection.
With kernel version 5.4.0-54-generic everything works perfectly well and it has done so for years now with any previous kernel version.

I would appreciate any guidance. Please feel free to ask me for further information.

Thank you!

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 18.04
Package: linux-image-5.4.0-62-generic 5.4.0-62.70~18.04.1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-54.60~18.04.1-generic 5.4.65
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-54-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia_modeset nvidia
ApportVersion: 2.20.9-0ubuntu7.21
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Mon Jan 18 18:08:45 2021
InstallationDate: Installed on 2019-03-05 (685 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20190210)
SourcePackage: linux-signed-hwe-5.4
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[ubone (ubone1)]

This has been solved in linux-image-5.4.0-65-generic. Please close this bug. I am not able to do so.
Thank you!