CVE-2025-38671
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
BaseFortify

Publication date: 2025-08-22

Last updated on: 2025-11-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: qup: jump out of the loop in case of timeout Original logic only sets the return value but doesn't jump out of the loop if the bus is kept active by a client. This is not expected. A malicious or buggy i2c client can hang the kernel in this case and should be avoided. This is observed during a long time test with a PCA953x GPIO extender. Fix it by changing the logic to not only sets the return value, but also jumps out of the loop and return to the caller with -ETIMEDOUT.
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Meta Information
Published
2025-08-22
Last Modified
2025-11-03
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2025-08-22
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2025-38671
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 5.10.244
linux linux_kernel 6.1.153
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's i2c qup driver where, upon a timeout, the original logic only sets a return value but does not exit the loop if the i2c bus remains active due to a client. This behavior is unexpected and can allow a malicious or faulty i2c client to cause the kernel to hang. The fix involves changing the logic to both set the return value and exit the loop, returning an error code (-ETIMEDOUT) to prevent the hang.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to hang if a malicious or buggy i2c client keeps the bus active and triggers a timeout condition. This can lead to system instability or denial of service, affecting the availability and reliability of the affected system.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for the i2c qup timeout issue. This fix changes the logic to exit the loop and return -ETIMEDOUT when a timeout occurs, preventing the kernel from hanging due to a malicious or buggy i2c client.

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