A deadlock arises in the Samsung s3c24xx serial driver when console flow control is enabled. The driver’s stop_tx and start_tx callbacks, called with the port lock already held, invoke rx helpers that try to re‑acquire the same spinlock. Because spinlocks are not recursive, this re‑acquisition blocks the CPU, halting the kernel and denying all services that rely on the serial console.

Vendors: Linux kernel incorporating the Samsung s3c24xx serial driver. The vulnerability applies to any build that includes this driver component; specific version numbers are not listed in the data, so it is inferred that all unpatched kernels using the driver are affected. Only the Samsung serial driver is impacted—other serial drivers or non‑Samsung hardware are not affected.

The EPSS score of < 1% indicates a very low probability that this flaw will be exploited in the wild, and it has not been recorded in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation requires the system to have console flow control active, meaning local or privileged access is needed. If achieved, the deadlock would stall the kernel, potentially requiring a reboot or patch, but no current evidence of active attacks exists.