CVE-2026-46213
HID: appletb-kbd: fix UAF in inactivity-timer cleanup path
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: appletb-kbd: fix UAF in inactivity-timer cleanup path Commit 38224c472a03 ("HID: appletb-kbd: fix slab use-after-free bug in appletb_kbd_probe") added timer_delete_sync(&kbd->inactivity_timer) to both the probe close_hw error path and appletb_kbd_remove(), but the way it was wired in left the inactivity timer reachable during driver tear-down via two distinct windows. Window A -- put_device() before timer_delete_sync(): put_device(&kbd->backlight_dev->dev); timer_delete_sync(&kbd->inactivity_timer); The inactivity_timer softirq reads kbd->backlight_dev and calls backlight_device_set_brightness() -> mutex_lock(&ops_lock). If a concurrent hid_appletb_bl unbind drops the last devm reference between these two calls, the backlight_device is freed and the mutex_lock() touches freed memory. Window B -- backlight cleanup before hid_hw_stop(): if (kbd->backlight_dev) { timer_delete_sync(...); put_device(...); } hid_hw_close(hdev); hid_hw_stop(hdev); Even after Window A is closed, hid_hw_close()/hid_hw_stop() still run afterwards, so a late ".event" callback from the HID core (USB URB completion on real Apple hardware) can arrive after timer_delete_sync() drained the softirq but before put_device() drops the reference. That callback reaches reset_inactivity_timer(), which calls mod_timer() and re-arms the timer. The freshly re-armed timer can then fire on the about-to-be-freed backlight_device. Both windows produce the same KASAN slab-use-after-free: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __mutex_lock+0x1aab/0x21c0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88803ee9a108 by task swapper/0/0 Call Trace: <IRQ> __mutex_lock backlight_device_set_brightness appletb_inactivity_timer call_timer_fn run_timer_softirq handle_softirqs Allocated by task N: devm_backlight_device_register appletb_bl_probe Freed by task M: (concurrent hid_appletb_bl unbind path) Close both windows at once by reworking the tear-down in appletb_kbd_remove() and in the probe close_hw error path so that 1) hid_hw_close()/hid_hw_stop() run before the backlight cleanup, guaranteeing no further .event callback can fire and re-arm the timer, and 2) inside the "if (kbd->backlight_dev)" block, timer_delete_sync() runs before put_device(), so the softirq is drained before the final reference is dropped.
INFO
Published Date :
May 28, 2026, 10:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
May 28, 2026, 10:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-46213
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.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the latest version.
- Apply the vendor-provided patch for this issue.
- Ensure timer cleanup happens before device teardown.
- Drain softirqs before dropping final reference.
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-2026-46213.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-46213 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-2026-46213
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-2026-46213 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-46213 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.
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New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
May. 28, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: HID: appletb-kbd: fix UAF in inactivity-timer cleanup path Commit 38224c472a03 ("HID: appletb-kbd: fix slab use-after-free bug in appletb_kbd_probe") added timer_delete_sync(&kbd->inactivity_timer) to both the probe close_hw error path and appletb_kbd_remove(), but the way it was wired in left the inactivity timer reachable during driver tear-down via two distinct windows. Window A -- put_device() before timer_delete_sync(): put_device(&kbd->backlight_dev->dev); timer_delete_sync(&kbd->inactivity_timer); The inactivity_timer softirq reads kbd->backlight_dev and calls backlight_device_set_brightness() -> mutex_lock(&ops_lock). If a concurrent hid_appletb_bl unbind drops the last devm reference between these two calls, the backlight_device is freed and the mutex_lock() touches freed memory. Window B -- backlight cleanup before hid_hw_stop(): if (kbd->backlight_dev) { timer_delete_sync(...); put_device(...); } hid_hw_close(hdev); hid_hw_stop(hdev); Even after Window A is closed, hid_hw_close()/hid_hw_stop() still run afterwards, so a late ".event" callback from the HID core (USB URB completion on real Apple hardware) can arrive after timer_delete_sync() drained the softirq but before put_device() drops the reference. That callback reaches reset_inactivity_timer(), which calls mod_timer() and re-arms the timer. The freshly re-armed timer can then fire on the about-to-be-freed backlight_device. Both windows produce the same KASAN slab-use-after-free: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __mutex_lock+0x1aab/0x21c0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88803ee9a108 by task swapper/0/0 Call Trace: <IRQ> __mutex_lock backlight_device_set_brightness appletb_inactivity_timer call_timer_fn run_timer_softirq handle_softirqs Allocated by task N: devm_backlight_device_register appletb_bl_probe Freed by task M: (concurrent hid_appletb_bl unbind path) Close both windows at once by reworking the tear-down in appletb_kbd_remove() and in the probe close_hw error path so that 1) hid_hw_close()/hid_hw_stop() run before the backlight cleanup, guaranteeing no further .event callback can fire and re-arm the timer, and 2) inside the "if (kbd->backlight_dev)" block, timer_delete_sync() runs before put_device(), so the softirq is drained before the final reference is dropped. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4db2af929279c799b5653a39eb0795c72baffca4 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59a79938ca5541fe55d675304116b7ea684afef0 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93d989e47bc316c793a69c6a332e053c90e29f02