Executive brief
A vulnerability was identified in the Linux kernel's TPM (Trusted Platform Module) driver for STMicroelectronics ST33ZP24 chips. When the system encounters a timeout while communicating with the security chip, it fails to properly release hardware resources. This could potentially lead to system instability or prevent other security operations from functioning correctly until a reboot.
Technical details
A resource leak exists in the st33zp24_send() function within the Linux kernel's TPM driver. The function acquires a hardware locality but fails to release it if get_burstcount() returns an -EBUSY error due to a timeout. This occurs because the code returns the error code directly instead of jumping to the cleanup label (out_err). An attacker with local access could potentially trigger this condition to cause a denial of service or interfere with TPM-reliant security features. The issue has been patched in multiple stable branches of the Linux kernel by ensuring the error path correctly executes the cleanup routine.
Affected products
- Linux Linux kernel st33zp24 driver
Timeline
- 2025-12-26: other: Patch authored
- 2026-05-27: disclosed: CVE published
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1256c6dc96d1e687e6e9b63088156ed07411b00c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e91b44c93ad2871f89fc2a98c5e4fe6ca5db3d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4fffb77d35d038f146e6192da583dbe4971d869e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7687133509cf66ced120b667fefd21f80bf17993
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a51cff9be046e13e1c1b2fe45d5c48b582ec9b8c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc09d55f519e15355de343264a22ac6682b8305e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e0ce3da82341fcd6194175f1837946b2a894c625