Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's FP9931 regulator driver could allow a local user to cause a resource leak. This component is responsible for managing power and monitoring hardware sensors. If exploited, the leak could prevent the system from properly managing power states, potentially leading to system instability or a denial of service.
Technical details
A resource management vulnerability exists in the fp9931_hwmon_read() function within the drivers/regulator/fp9931.c component of the Linux kernel. The root cause is a failure to call pm_runtime_put_autosuspend() when a regmap_read() operation fails, resulting in a Power Management (PM) runtime reference leak. A local attacker with low privileges could potentially trigger this error path repeatedly to exhaust system resources or prevent the hardware from entering low-power states, leading to a denial of service. The issue has been resolved in stable kernel branches by ensuring the PM reference is released regardless of the read operation's success.
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel 6.19 to 6.19.7, 7.0-rc1
Timeline
- 2026-02-24: patched: Initial patch submitted by Felix Gu
- 2026-03-25: disclosed: CVE published