Linux Kernel Memory Device Leak Vulnerability in MTK SMI LARB Probe

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's memory management for MediaTek (MTK) SMI devices has been addressed. The issue involved a device reference leak during the LARB probe process, particularly on late probe failures and when drivers were unbound. This vulnerability affected several versions of the Linux kernel.

Impact

The vulnerability could lead to a memory leak by not properly releasing device references, potentially causing increased memory usage or exhaustion over time.

Reproduction

The vulnerability can be reproduced by probing an MTK SMI LARB device, particularly in scenarios where the probe is deferred or the driver is unbound. This will result in a device reference leak, as the reference taken during the SMI device lookup is not properly released.

Remediation

Users can apply the latest patches available in the Linux kernel stable tree to address this vulnerability.