Bug 2525488 (CVE-2026-80660)

Summary: CVE-2026-80660 kernel: hwmon: (occ) unregister sysfs devices outside occ lock
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerability-draftAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version: Doc Type: ---
Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's hwmon (occ) component. This vulnerability occurs when `occ_active(false)` or `occ_shutdown()` attempt to unregister sysfs devices while holding the `occ->lock`. During this process, sysfs callbacks can re-enter the OCC update path and try to acquire the `occ->lock` again, creating a circular locking dependency. This can lead to a deadlock, causing a Denial of Service (DoS) where the system becomes unresponsive.
Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-08-28 07:47:34 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

hwmon: (occ) unregister sysfs devices outside occ lock

occ_active(false) and occ_shutdown() unregister sysfs-backed devices while
occ->lock is held.  hwmon_device_unregister() and sysfs_remove_group() can
wait for active sysfs callbacks to drain, and those callbacks can enter the
OCC update path and try to take occ->lock again.  That gives the unregister
paths the lock ordering occ->lock -> sysfs callback drain, while a callback
has the opposite edge sysfs callback -> occ->lock.

This issue was found by our static analysis tool and then manually
reviewed against the current tree.

The grounded PoC kept the real unregister and callback carrier:

  occ_shutdown()
  hwmon_device_unregister()
  occ_show_temp_1()
  occ_update_response()

Lockdep reported the circular dependency with occ_shutdown() already
holding the OCC mutex and hwmon_device_unregister() waiting on the sysfs
side:

  WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
  ... (sysfs_lock) ... at: hwmon_device_unregister+0x12/0x30 [vuln_msv]
  ... (&test_occ.lock) ... at: occ_shutdown.constprop.0+0xe/0x40 [vuln_msv]
  occ_update_response.isra.0+0xb/0x20 [vuln_msv]
  occ_show_temp_1.constprop.0.isra.0+0x23/0x40 [vuln_msv]
  *** DEADLOCK ***

Serialize hwmon registration and removal with a separate hwmon_lock.
Under that lock, detach occ->hwmon and update occ->active while occ->lock
is held so concurrent OCC state changes still see a stable state, then
drop occ->lock before calling hwmon_device_unregister().  Remove the
driver sysfs group before taking occ->lock in occ_shutdown(), so draining
the driver attributes cannot wait while the OCC mutex is held.  Also make
OCC update callbacks return -ENODEV after deactivation, so callbacks that
already passed sysfs active protection do not poll the hardware after
teardown has detached the hwmon device.