CyberRota Analysis
AI-GeneratedThe vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's I2C subsystem, specifically the SMBus block-read functionality, which improperly handles a Block Read byte count of zero, causing the bus to become locked. This can lead to a denial of service, as the I2C bus remains inoperable until a power cycle is performed on the controller. Organizations using affected Linux kernel versions, particularly those relying on SMBus for communication with devices, should prioritize applying the patch to mitigate potential disruptions.
Original NVD Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: imx: fix locked bus on SMBus block-read of 0 (IRQ) SMBus 3.1 6.5.7 allows a Block Read byte count of 0, but the interrupt-driven block-read state machine rejects it as -EPROTO. Worse, it returns without a NACK+STOP: the next receive cycle has already started, so the target keeps holding SDA and the bus stays stuck until a power cycle of this i2c controller. Accept count=0: NACK the in-flight dummy byte (TXAK) and set msg->len to 2 so i2c_imx_isr_read_continue() emits STOP via its normal last-byte path. The dummy byte is discarded; block-read callers only consume buf[0..count-1]. Reading I2DR has likewise already armed the next byte on the count > I2C_SMBUS_BLOCK_MAX error path, so NACK it (TXAK) before aborting with -EPROTO; otherwise the failing transfer's STOP cannot complete and the bus stays held. The atomic path regressed earlier (v3.16) and is fixed separately; this patch covers only the v6.13 state-machine rework.