CVE-2022-49900
kernel: i2c: piix4: Fix adapter not be removed in piix4_remove()
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · May 1, 2025
Updated · June 30, 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
i2c: piix4: Fix adapter not be removed in piix4_remove()
In piix4_probe(), the piix4 adapter will be registered in:
piix4_probe() piix4_add_adapters_sb800() / piix4_add_adapter() i2c_add_adapter()
Based on the probed device type, piix4_add_adapters_sb800() or single piix4_add_adapter() will be called. For the former case, piix4_adapter_count is set as the number of adapters, while for antoher case it is not set and kept default zero.
When piix4 is removed, piix4_remove() removes the adapters added in piix4_probe(), basing on the piix4_adapter_count value. Because the count is zero for the single adapter case, the adapter won't be removed and makes the sources allocated for adapter leaked, such as the i2c client and device.
These sources can still be accessed by i2c or bus and cause problems. An easily reproduced case is that if a new adapter is registered, i2c will get the leaked adapter and try to call smbus_algorithm, which was already freed:
Triggered by: rmmod i2c_piix4 && modprobe max31730
BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffc053d860 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP KASAN CPU: 0 PID: 3752 Comm: modprobe Tainted: G Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) RIP: 0010:i2c_default_probe (drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c:2259) i2c_core RSP: 0018:ffff888107477710 EFLAGS: 00000246 ... <TASK> i2c_detect (drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c:2302) i2c_core __process_new_driver (drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c:1336) i2c_core bus_for_each_dev (drivers/base/bus.c:301) i2c_for_each_dev (drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c:1823) i2c_core i2c_register_driver (drivers/i2c/i2c-core-base.c:1861) i2c_core do_one_initcall (init/main.c:1296) do_init_module (kernel/module/main.c:2455) ... </TASK> ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
Fix this problem by correctly set piix4_adapter_count as 1 for the single adapter so it can be normally removed.
Statement
A bug in the piix4_probe() function causes the i2c adapter not to be properly removed in piix4_remove() if only a single adapter is registered. As a result, stale references may remain accessible via the i2c subsystem. This can lead to a use-after-free scenario when a new driver (e.g., max31730) is loaded, triggering a kernel crash due to access to freed memory (e.g., smbus_algorithm).
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
No mitigation is specified in collected source.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 4.4CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE not specified