Executive brief
A vulnerability was identified in the Linux kernel's Amlogic SPI Flash Controller driver. The driver failed to properly clean up the Error Correction Code (ECC) engine during certain failure scenarios or when the device was removed. This could lead to system instability or resource leaks, potentially allowing a local user to cause a denial-of-service condition.
Technical details
A resource leak vulnerability exists in the Amlogic SPI Flash Controller (spifc-a4) driver within the Linux kernel. The aml_sfc_probe() function registers an on-host NAND ECC engine but lacks the corresponding unregistration logic in its error-handling paths and the driver's remove() callback. This failure to call nand_ecc_unregister_on_host_hw_engine() results in stale registrations. An attacker with local access could potentially exploit this to cause a kernel panic or resource exhaustion. The issue has been resolved by implementing a devm cleanup action to ensure automatic unregistration.
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel 6.18.1 to 6.18.22, 6.19 to 6.19.12, 7.0-rc1 to 7.0-rc6
Timeline
- 2026-03-22: other: Patch authored
- 2026-05-01: disclosed
- 2026-05-01: advisory