CVE-2026-72142
Received Received - Intake

i2c: imx SMBus Block Read Zero Handling Fix

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-72142, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-23

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: imx: fix locked bus on SMBus block-read of 0 (atomic) SMBus 3.1 6.5.7 allows a Block Read byte count of 0, but the atomic (polling) path rejects it as -EPROTO. Worse, it returns without a NACK+STOP: the next receive cycle has already started, so the target keeps holding SDA and the bus stays stuck until a power cycle for this i2c controller. Reading I2DR to obtain the count likewise arms the next byte on the count > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX path, which also returned -EPROTO directly and left the bus held. Handle both: NACK the in-flight dummy byte (TXAK) and extend msgs->len so the existing last-byte handling emits STOP; the dummy byte is discarded. A count of 0 is a valid empty block read; a count above I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX is still reported as -EPROTO, but only after the bus has been released. The interrupt-driven path has the same flaw from a later commit and is fixed separately, as it carries a different Fixes: tag and stable range.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-23
Generated
2026-09-04
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
2026-09-03
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Currently, no data is known.

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's i2c imx driver. It involves a flaw in handling SMBus block-read operations where a byte count of 0 causes the bus to lock up. The atomic polling path incorrectly rejects this count, fails to send a NACK+STOP signal, and leaves the bus in a stuck state until a power cycle.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's i2c imx driver and involves a hardware-level bus lock issue. Detection requires checking the kernel version and the presence of the affected driver. Use commands like 'uname -a' to check kernel version and 'lsmod | grep i2c_imx' to verify if the driver is loaded.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause the I2C bus to become unresponsive, disrupting communication between hardware components. This may lead to system hangs, data loss, or require a power cycle to restore normal operation.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it pertains to a low-level hardware issue in the Linux kernel's i2c subsystem. Compliance impacts would only occur if the vulnerability led to data corruption, unauthorized access, or system unavailability, which is not described in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that fixes this issue. Update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-72142. If you are using a custom kernel, ensure the i2c imx driver is updated to the patched version.

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