CVE-2023-54009 i2c: cadence: cdns_i2c_master_xfer(): Fix runtime PM leak on error path
A runtime PM reference leak in the Cadence I2C driver can lead to resource exhaustion and denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-54009?
CVE-2023-54009 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
i2c: cadence: cdns_i2c_master_xfer(): Fix runtime PM leak on error path
The cdns_i2c_master_xfer() function gets a runtime PM reference when the function is entered. This reference is released when the function is exited. There is currently one error path where the function exits directly, which leads to a leak of the runtime PM reference.
Make sure that this error path also releases the runtime PM reference.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54009?
How do I fix CVE-2023-54009?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2023-54009 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54009 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-54009, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54009, GHSA-3p2v-w863-5q4c, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54009.