CVE-2020-36781

Service interruption via leaked runtime power references

Published Feb 28, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Resource leak in the Linux kernel i.MX I2C driver allows local users to interrupt service by triggering failed runtime PM operations. The i2c_imx_xfer() and i2c_imx_remove() paths call pm_runtime_get_sync(), which increments the usage counter even when it fails, without a matching decrement. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and the affected i.MX I2C driver path; repeated failures can exhaust resources and disrupt availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource leak in the Linux kernel i.MX I2C driver allows local users to interrupt service by triggering failed runtime PM operations. The i2c_imx_xfer() and i2c_imx_remove() paths call pm_runtime_get_sync(), which increments the usage counter even when it fails, without a matching decrement. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access and the affected i.MX I2C driver path; repeated failures can exhaust resources and disrupt availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2020-36781
Published
Feb 28, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 28, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <1ecc0ebc2ebbad4a22a670a07d27a21fa0b59c77
  2. Affected versionversion=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <3a0cdd336d92c429b51a79bf4f64b17eafa0325d
  3. Affected versionversion=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <47ff617217ca6a13194fcb35c6c3a0c57c080693
  4. Affected versionversion=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <ff406f6cd09c273337ab4854292e4aca48f8affd
  5. Affected versionversion=5.7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <1ecc0ebc2ebbad4a22a670a07d27a21fa0b59c77; version=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <3a0cdd336d92c429b51a79bf4f64b17eafa0325d; version=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <47ff617217ca6a13194fcb35c6c3a0c57c080693; version=3a5ee18d2a32bda6b9a1260136f6805848e3839d <ff406f6cd09c273337ab4854292e4aca48f8affd; version=5.7

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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