The Samsung PWM timer can be used as a clock source on legacy systems, and when PREEMPT_RT is enabled on ARM the kernel converts a regular spinlock to a sleeping lock. Using this lock in hard interrupt handlers, which run in atomic context, leads to deadlock or kernel panic. The vulnerability is resolved by switching the samsung_pwm_lock to a raw_spinlock_t, which remains a true non‑sleeping spinlock even under PREEMPT_RT, thereby preventing potential service interruption caused by kernel instability.

Linux kernel installations that load the samsung_pwm driver on ARM and use the timer as a clock source. Specific kernel versions are not enumerated in the advisory, so any kernel where samsung_pwm is configured for this purpose and PREEMPT_RT is enabled should be considered at risk.

The EPSS score for this issue is below 1% and it is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating a very low current exploitation probability. Nonetheless, the condition could cause a kernel crash or data corruption if an attacker has the ability to trigger hard interrupts while PREEMPT_RT is active, which would normally require local privileged access or the loading of a kernel module that activates the samsung_pwm timer under these circumstances.