CVE-2026-16148

Kernel panic in the it82xx2 USB device controller driver via re-initialization of a busy delayable work item

Published Sep 14, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 4.6 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed

Description

The ITE it82xx2 USB device-controller driver initialized its bus-suspend detection work with k_work_init_delayable(&priv->suspended_work, suspended_handler) inside it82xx2_enable() (the driver's .enable op) in drivers/usb/udc/udc_it82xx2.c. This work item is scheduled essentially continuously while the USB bus is active: the interrupt handler reschedules it on every SOF frame and suspended_handler() reschedules itself, so its timeout node is normally linked in the kernel timeout list / a workqueue pending queue.

k_work_init_delayable() (kernel/work.c) unconditionally overwrites the entire k_work_delayable structure, including its timeout and queue linkage, with no busy check. Because it82xx2_disable() does not cancel the work, a normal disable-then-enable cycle re-runs api->enable() (udc_enable() only rejects a redundant enable, not a re-enable after disable) and re-initializes the still-pending work in place, corrupting the kernel timeout/workqueue linked lists and causing a kernel panic.

An external USB host — for example a host performing USB DFU detach (dfu-util --detach) or forcing repeated attach/reset/re-enumeration — drives the udc_disable()/udc_enable() transitions and controls suspend/resume timing, so it can arrange for the suspend work to be pending across a re-enable. This yields an unauthenticated denial of service (kernel panic) reachable across the USB boundary from a removable, physically-connected host, with no confidentiality or integrity impact demonstrated.

The fix moves the k_work_init_delayable() call into the one-time preinit function so the work is initialized exactly once, eliminating the re-initialization of an in-use item.

Analysis

Technical impact

The driver for the ITE it82xx2 USB device controller re‑initializes a delayable work item whenever the controller is enabled. Because the work item is already queued when the controller is disabled and then re‑enabled, the kernel overwrites its timeout and queue links, corrupting the timeout and workqueue lists. The corruption triggers a kernel panic, resulting in an unauthenticated denial of service. No confidentiality or integrity impact has been demonstrated.

Affected Systems

Zephyr RTOS builds that include the drivers/usb/udc/udc_it82xx2.c component for ITE it82xx2 USB device controllers. All hardware implementations using that driver, regardless of specific OTA firmware version, may be affected.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 4.6 indicates moderate severity. The EPSS score is less than 1%, which suggests a very low probability of exploitation. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, implying limited publicly documented exploitation. The attack can be conducted by an external USB host that triggers detach or repeated attach events, such as a DFU utility or power cycling. Because the exploit does not require authentication on the host side and only requires physical USB access, the risk is accessible to any attacker with physical connectivity to the target device.

Affected Products

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

zephyrproject

zephyr

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
`3.7.0`	affected	< 4.3.2
`4.4.0`	affected	< 4.4.2

No data.

Vendor Product Versions

Zephyrproject

Zephyr

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`[3.7.0,4.4.2)`	affected	semver	—

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

Update Zephyr to a version that contains commit 350fd5dfd, which moves the delayable work item initialization to a one‑time pre‑initialization function, eliminating the dangerous re‑initialization.
If an update is not immediately possible, configure the system or host firmware to avoid repeated USB detach/attach cycles during operation, ensuring that enable/disable transitions do not occur while a suspend work item is pending.
Enable logging or monitoring for kernel panic events caused by USB suspend handlers so that any interruption can be detected quickly.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 20, 2026 at 22:43 UTC.

Tracking

Advisories

No advisories available

Metrics

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Physical

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required None

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

Exploit prediction score: < 1% (0.230% probability within 30 days)

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact partial

References

Link	Providers
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/350fd5dfd49e6aca99724fb3f0d4998fe28b4b6c
https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-fvp9-j2pq-477x

History

Sep 14, 2026 11:15 PM First appearance in the feed. Affected vendors updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
First Time appeared		Zephyrproject Zephyrproject zephyr
Vendors & Products		Zephyrproject Zephyrproject zephyr

Sep 14, 2026 9:30 PM Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		ssvc `{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}`

Sep 14, 2026 9:00 PM Description updated. Title updated. Weaknesses updated. Added references. Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		The ITE it82xx2 USB device-controller driver initialized its bus-suspend detection work with k_work_init_delayable(&priv->suspended_work, suspended_handler) inside it82xx2_enable() (the driver's .enable op) in drivers/usb/udc/udc_it82xx2.c. This work item is scheduled essentially continuously while the USB bus is active: the interrupt handler reschedules it on every SOF frame and suspended_handler() reschedules itself, so its timeout node is normally linked in the kernel timeout list / a workqueue pending queue. k_work_init_delayable() (kernel/work.c) unconditionally overwrites the entire k_work_delayable structure, including its timeout and queue linkage, with no busy check. Because it82xx2_disable() does not cancel the work, a normal disable-then-enable cycle re-runs api->enable() (udc_enable() only rejects a redundant enable, not a re-enable after disable) and re-initializes the still-pending work in place, corrupting the kernel timeout/workqueue linked lists and causing a kernel panic. An external USB host — for example a host performing USB DFU detach (dfu-util --detach) or forcing repeated attach/reset/re-enumeration — drives the udc_disable()/udc_enable() transitions and controls suspend/resume timing, so it can arrange for the suspend work to be pending across a re-enable. This yields an unauthenticated denial of service (kernel panic) reachable across the USB boundary from a removable, physically-connected host, with no confidentiality or integrity impact demonstrated. The fix moves the k_work_init_delayable() call into the one-time preinit function so the work is initialized exactly once, eliminating the re-initialization of an in-use item.
Title		Kernel panic in the it82xx2 USB device controller driver via re-initialization of a busy delayable work item
Weaknesses		CWE-666
References		https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/350fd5dfd49e6aca99724fb3f0d4998fe28b4b6c https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-fvp9-j2pq-477x
Metrics		cvssV3_1 `{'score': 4.6, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}`