CVE-2026-45946
Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete
Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel AB8500 Power Supply

Publication date: 2026-05-27

Last updated on: 2026-06-16

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: power: supply: ab8500: Fix use-after-free in power_supply_changed() Using the `devm_` variant for requesting IRQ _before_ the `devm_` variant for allocating/registering the `power_supply` handle, means that the `power_supply` handle will be deallocated/unregistered _before_ the interrupt handler (since `devm_` naturally deallocates in reverse allocation order). This means that during removal, there is a race condition where an interrupt can fire just _after_ the `power_supply` handle has been freed, *but* just _before_ the corresponding unregistration of the IRQ handler has run. This will lead to the IRQ handler calling `power_supply_changed()` with a freed `power_supply` handle. Which usually crashes the system or otherwise silently corrupts the memory... Note that there is a similar situation which can also happen during `probe()`; the possibility of an interrupt firing _before_ registering the `power_supply` handle. This would then lead to the nasty situation of using the `power_supply` handle *uninitialized* in `power_supply_changed()`. Commit 1c1f13a006ed ("power: supply: ab8500: Move to componentized binding") introduced this issue during a refactorization. Fix this racy use-after-free by making sure the IRQ is requested _after_ the registration of the `power_supply` handle.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-27
Last Modified
2026-06-16
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-05-27
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-45946
EUVD
EUVD-2026-32230
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 6 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.14 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.4 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.128 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.75 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.165 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.13.4 (inc) to 5.15.202 (exc)
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Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-416 The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel's power supply subsystem, specifically in the ab8500 power supply driver. It occurs because the interrupt request (IRQ) is requested before the power_supply handle is allocated and registered. Since the kernel deallocates resources in reverse order, the power_supply handle can be freed before the IRQ handler is unregistered during device removal.

As a result, an interrupt can trigger just after the power_supply handle has been freed but before the IRQ handler is unregistered. This causes the IRQ handler to call power_supply_changed() with a freed (invalid) power_supply handle, which usually crashes the system or corrupts memory silently.

A similar issue can happen during device probe, where an interrupt fires before the power_supply handle is registered, leading to the use of an uninitialized handle in power_supply_changed(). The fix involves ensuring the IRQ is requested only after the power_supply handle is registered, preventing this race condition.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause system instability by crashing the Linux kernel or silently corrupting memory. Such crashes can lead to unexpected system reboots, data loss, or degraded system performance.

Memory corruption might also lead to unpredictable behavior or security risks if exploited further, potentially affecting the reliability and security of devices running the vulnerable kernel.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure that your Linux kernel is updated to a version that includes the fix for the use-after-free issue in power_supply_changed() related to the ab8500 power supply driver.

Specifically, the fix involves requesting the IRQ only after the registration of the power_supply handle to avoid the race condition that leads to use-after-free.

Therefore, applying the patch or upgrading to a kernel version that contains commit 1c1f13a006ed or later will address this issue.

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