i2c_imx Runtime PM Clock and Pinctrl State Inconsistency

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's i2c driver for imx devices related to runtime power management (PM). Specifically, during the runtime suspend process, the clock is disabled before the pinctrl state is switched to sleep. If the function to select the sleep state for pinctrl fails, the suspend process is aborted but the clock remains disabled. This leads to a system crash when the hardware is accessed afterward.

The fix involves changing the order of operations: switching the pinctrl state before disabling the clock. This ensures that if the pinctrl state switch fails, the clock remains enabled and the hardware remains accessible, preventing the crash.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause a system crash when the hardware is accessed after a failed runtime suspend operation in the i2c imx driver. This can lead to system instability or downtime, potentially interrupting normal operations or causing data loss if the system crashes unexpectedly.

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Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability is related to the Linux kernel's i2c imx driver handling of clock and pinctrl state during runtime power management. To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix where the pinctrl state is switched before disabling the clock in i2c_imx_runtime_suspend(), and where the pinctrl state is restored if clk_enable() fails in i2c_imx_runtime_resume().

This update ensures that if pinctrl_pm_select_sleep_state() fails, the clock remains enabled, preventing system crashes when hardware is accessed.

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