Not yet scoredPublished Nov 12, 2025

CVE-2025-40120net: usb: asix: hold PM usage ref to avoid PM/MDIO + RTNL deadlock

Updated under an hour ago (Oct 27, 2026, 6:10 PM ET)

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Exploited in the last 30 days

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: usb: asix: hold PM usage ref to avoid PM/MDIO + RTNL deadlock Prevent USB runtime PM (autosuspend) for AX88772* in bind. usbnet enables runtime PM (autosuspend) by default, so disabling it via the usb_driver flag is ineffective. On AX88772B, autosuspend shows no measurable power saving with current driver (no link partner, admin up/down). The ~0.453 W -> ~0.248 W drop on v6.1 comes from phylib powering the PHY off on admin-down, not from USB autosuspend. The real hazard is that with runtime PM enabled, ndo_open() (under RTNL) may synchronously trigger autoresume (usb_autopm_get_interface()) into asix_resume() while the USB PM lock is held. Resume paths then invoke phylink/phylib and MDIO, which also expect RTNL, leading to possible deadlocks or PM lock vs MDIO wake issues. To avoid this, keep the device runtime-PM active by taking a usage reference in ax88772_bind() and dropping it in unbind(). A non-zero PM usage count blocks runtime suspend regardless of userspace policy (.../power/control - pm_runtime_allow/forbid), making this approach robust against sysfs overrides. Holding a runtime-PM usage ref does not affect system-wide suspend; system sleep/resume callbacks continue to run as before.

CVSS: Not yet scored
Weakness (CWE): Not given
Known exploited: Not in CISA's KEV catalog
EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days): Not loaded for this CVE
Assigned by: Linux
NVD analysis: Deferred
Record last updated: May 11, 2026
First seen by InfoSec Signals: Oct 9, 2026

Affected products

Affected products

Linux Linux linux:linux (from the name)	from 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 before 71a0ba7fdaf8d035426912a4ed7bf1738a81010c; 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 builds before 3e96cd27ff1a004d84908c1b6cc68ac60913874e; from 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 before 724a9db84188f80ef60b1f21cc7b4e9c84e0cb64; from 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 before 1534517300e12f2930b6ff477b8820ff658afd11; from 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 before 9d8bcaf6fae1bd82bc27ec09a2694497e6f6c4b4; 4a2c7217cd5a87e85ceb761e307b030fe6db4805 builds before 3d3c4cd5c62f24bb3cb4511b7a95df707635e00a	CNA record

References

References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/71a0ba7fdaf8d035426912a4ed7bf1738a81010c
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e96cd27ff1a004d84908c1b6cc68ac60913874e
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/724a9db84188f80ef60b1f21cc7b4e9c84e0cb64
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1534517300e12f2930b6ff477b8820ff658afd11
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9d8bcaf6fae1bd82bc27ec09a2694497e6f6c4b4
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d3c4cd5c62f24bb3cb4511b7a95df707635e00a

The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry

The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.