Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Intel QuickAssist Technology (QAT) driver could cause system instability or resource leaks during hardware initialization. If the driver fails to start correctly, it may leave behind active interrupt handlers while releasing the underlying hardware resources. This is primarily a reliability issue that could lead to kernel warnings or unexpected behavior during device setup.
Technical details
A flaw exists in the 'qat_6xxx' driver's probe sequence where IRQ handlers registered via 'adf_isr_resource_alloc' are not detached if 'adf_dev_up' fails. Because 'pcim_msi_release' is registered as a devres action, it may trigger and tear down MSI-X vectors while handlers are still attached, leading to 'remove_proc_entry' warnings and resource leaks. The fix involves explicitly calling 'adf_dev_down' upon 'adf_dev_up' failure to ensure handlers are freed before devres releases the vectors. This issue affects the Intel QAT 6xxx driver specifically.
Affected products
- Linux Linux Kernel qat_6xxx driver
Timeline
- 2026-04-01: other: Patch authored by Giovanni Cabiddu
- 2026-05-27: disclosed: CVE published