serial: core: fix infinite loop in handle_tx() for PORT_UNKNOWN

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Summary

CVECVE-2026-23472
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-04-03 16:16:34 UTC
Updated2026-07-20 20:10:00 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: core: fix infinite loop in handle_tx() for PORT_UNKNOWN uart_write_room() and uart_write() behave inconsistently when xmit_buf is NULL (which happens for PORT_UNKNOWN ports that were never properly initialized): - uart_write_room() returns kfifo_avail() which can be > 0 - uart_write() checks xmit_buf and returns 0 if NULL This inconsistency causes an infinite loop in drivers that rely on tty_write_room() to determine if they can write: while (tty_write_room(tty) > 0) { written = tty->ops->write(...); // written is always 0, loop never exits } For example, caif_serial's handle_tx() enters an infinite loop when used with PORT_UNKNOWN serial ports, causing system hangs. Fix by making uart_write_room() also check xmit_buf and return 0 if it's NULL, consistent with uart_write(). Reproducer: https://gist.github.com/mrpre/d9a694cc0e19828ee3bc3b37983fde13

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.5 MEDIUM from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS: 0.000170000 probability, percentile 0.039750000 (date 2026-04-07)

Problem Types: CWE-835

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Linux Linux Kernel All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 efe85a557186b7fe915572ae93a8f3f78bfd9a22 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 bc70f2b36cf474d5cc8ecbcaf57f3e326fdec67c git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 455ce986fa356ff43a43c0d363ba95fa152f21d5 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 2.6.12 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 2.6.12 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.20 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.19.10 6.19.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.0 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc70f2b36cf474d5cc8ecbcaf57f3e326fdec67c 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/455ce986fa356ff43a43c0d363ba95fa152f21d5 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/efe85a557186b7fe915572ae93a8f3f78bfd9a22 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
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