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CVE-2025-38682
i2c: core: Fix double-free of fwnode in i2c_unregister_device()
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: core: Fix double-free of fwnode in i2c_unregister_device() Before commit df6d7277e552 ("i2c: core: Do not dereference fwnode in struct device"), i2c_unregister_device() only called fwnode_handle_put() on of_node-s in the form of calling of_node_put(client->dev.of_node). But after this commit the i2c_client's fwnode now unconditionally gets fwnode_handle_put() on it. When the i2c_client has no primary (ACPI / OF) fwnode but it does have a software fwnode, the software-node will be the primary node and fwnode_handle_put() will put() it. But for the software fwnode device_remove_software_node() will also put() it leading to a double free: [ 82.665598] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 82.665609] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [ 82.665808] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 1502 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x11 ... [ 82.666830] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 ... [ 82.666962] <TASK> [ 82.666971] i2c_unregister_device+0x60/0x90 Fix this by not calling fwnode_handle_put() when the primary fwnode is a software-node.

INFO

Published Date :

Sept. 4, 2025, 4:15 p.m.

Last Modified :

Sept. 5, 2025, 5:47 p.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2025-38682 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
: Total Affected Vendor : 1 | Products : 1
Solution
Address a double-free vulnerability in the i2c subsystem by preventing redundant fwnode handle put operations.
  • Update the Linux kernel to the corrected version.
  • Apply the fix to the i2c device unregistration logic.
  • Ensure proper handling of software fwnodes.
  • Avoid double freeing of fwnode handles.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2025-38682.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c24e5fc0c7096e00c202a6a3e0c342c1afb47c2
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ffe02f7c4e36090154646612e67d331832f92037
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-38682 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-38682 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2025-38682 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2025-38682 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Sep. 04, 2025

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: core: Fix double-free of fwnode in i2c_unregister_device() Before commit df6d7277e552 ("i2c: core: Do not dereference fwnode in struct device"), i2c_unregister_device() only called fwnode_handle_put() on of_node-s in the form of calling of_node_put(client->dev.of_node). But after this commit the i2c_client's fwnode now unconditionally gets fwnode_handle_put() on it. When the i2c_client has no primary (ACPI / OF) fwnode but it does have a software fwnode, the software-node will be the primary node and fwnode_handle_put() will put() it. But for the software fwnode device_remove_software_node() will also put() it leading to a double free: [ 82.665598] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 82.665609] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free. [ 82.665808] WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 1502 at lib/refcount.c:28 refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x11 ... [ 82.666830] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0xba/0x110 ... [ 82.666962] <TASK> [ 82.666971] i2c_unregister_device+0x60/0x90 Fix this by not calling fwnode_handle_put() when the primary fwnode is a software-node.
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c24e5fc0c7096e00c202a6a3e0c342c1afb47c2
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ffe02f7c4e36090154646612e67d331832f92037
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
Vulnerability Scoring Details
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