Bug 2482597 (CVE-2026-46202) - CVE-2026-46202 kernel: HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues
Summary: CVE-2026-46202 kernel: HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2026-46202
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
unspecified
unspecified
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security DevOps Team
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-05-28 11:05 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-05-28 13:41 UTC (History)
2 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-05-28 11:05:06 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues

The autodim code in hid-appletb-kbd takes backlight_device->ops_lock
via backlight_device_set_brightness() -> mutex_lock() from two
different atomic contexts:

 * appletb_inactivity_timer() is a struct timer_list callback, so it
   runs in softirq context.  Every expiry triggers

     BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/mutex.c:591
     Call Trace:
      <IRQ>
      __might_resched
      __mutex_lock
      backlight_device_set_brightness
      appletb_inactivity_timer
      call_timer_fn
      run_timer_softirq

 * reset_inactivity_timer() is called from appletb_kbd_hid_event() and
   appletb_kbd_inp_event().  On real USB hardware these run in
   softirq/IRQ context (URB completion and input-event dispatch).
   When the Touch Bar has already been dimmed or turned off, the
   reset path calls backlight_device_set_brightness() directly to
   restore brightness, producing the same warning.

Both call sites hit the same mutex_lock()-from-atomic bug.  Fix them
together by moving the blocking work onto the system workqueue:

 * Convert the inactivity timer from struct timer_list to
   struct delayed_work; the callback (appletb_inactivity_work) now
   runs in process context where mutex_lock() is legal.
 * Add a dedicated struct work_struct restore_brightness_work and have
   reset_inactivity_timer() schedule it instead of calling
   backlight_device_set_brightness() directly.

Cancel both works synchronously during driver tear-down alongside the
existing backlight reference drop.

The semantics are unchanged (same delays, same state transitions on
dim, turn-off and user activity); only the execution context of the
sleeping call changes.  The timer field and callback are renamed to
match their new type; reset_inactivity_timer() keeps its name because
it is invoked from input event paths that read naturally as "reset
the inactivity timer".


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