CAN service hang via error-path IRQ deadlock
Published Mar 25, 2026 · Updated Mar 25, 2026
Improper locking in the Linux Kernel mcp251x CAN driver allows local users to hang the driver while opening a CAN interface. In mcp251x_open(), the error path calls free_irq() while holding mpc_lock, so a prior interrupt handler waiting on that mutex and free_irq() wait indefinitely for each other. The affected MCP251x driver and a concurrent interrupt during open-error handling are required; the resulting deadlock interrupts CAN service.
Summary
What happened
Improper locking in the Linux Kernel mcp251x CAN driver allows local users to hang the driver while opening a CAN interface. In mcp251x_open(), the error path calls free_irq() while holding mpc_lock, so a prior interrupt handler waiting on that mutex and free_irq() wait indefinitely for each other. The affected MCP251x driver and a concurrent interrupt during open-error handling are required; the resulting deadlock interrupts CAN service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23357
- Published
- Mar 25, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-667, CAPEC-25, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 25, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=2.6.34
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <256f0cff6e946c570392bda1d01a65e789a7afd0
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <38063cc435b69d56e76f947c10d336fcb2953508
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <ab3f894de216f4a62adc3b57e9191888cbf26885
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <b73832292cd914e87a55e863ba4413a907e7db6b
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <d27f12c3f5e85efc479896af4a69eccb37f75e8e
- Affected versionversion=bf66f3736a945dd4e92d86427276c6eeab0a6c1d <e728f444c913a91d290d1824b4770780bbd6378e
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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