In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
serial: amba-pl011: keep console clock enabled for atomic writes
pl011_console_write_atomic() runs from nbcon atomic context, where
sleeping is not allowed. It calls clk_enable(), which takes the common-clk
enable_lock. Under PREEMPT_RT that is a sleeping lock:
clk_enable_lock() first tries spin_trylock_irqsave(), but on contention
falls back to spin_lock_irqsave(). Therefore, an atomic-context printk on
an RT kernel with a clk-backed pl011 can trip:
BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at spinlock_rt.c:48
__might_resched from rt_spin_lock
rt_spin_lock from clk_enable_lock
clk_enable_lock from clk_enable
clk_enable from pl011_console_write_atomic
... from vprintk_emit
This was found and reproduced on PREEMPT_RT. Arm32 and arm64 DT SoCs are
affected; arm64 SBSA/ACPI has no clk, so clk_enable(NULL) short-circuits
before the lock. In addition, write_atomic() may be invoked from NMI
context and is documented to avoid locking. Removing clk_enable() from
the callback also avoids a potentially unsafe NMI acquisition of the
common-clock enable_lock.
An nbcon atomic-capable console must be printable from any context, so
the clock cannot be gated between writes. Enable the clock while the
console is available for output: use clk_prepare_enable() in
pl011_console_setup(), release it via clk_disable_unprepare() in the
console .exit() callback, and drop the per-write clk_enable()/clk_disable()
pairs from write_atomic() and write_thread().
When printk suspends consoles, drop the reference after
uart_suspend_port() stops console access and restore it before
uart_resume_port() -- but only if suspend actually marked the port
suspended (a wake-capable tty stays running and must keep its clock), and
keep it when console_suspend_enabled is false so no_console_suspend works.
The active power cost of keeping the clock enabled is platform-dependent:
none where the UART clock is a fixed always-on oscillator, real where it
is a gateable clock branch, which then cannot be gated (nor possibly can
its parent clocks) while the console is available for output. When serial
core actually suspends the port, the reference is released so the clock
provider can gate the clock tree.
serial: amba-pl011: keep console clock enabled for atomic writes
pl011_console_write_atomic() runs from nbcon atomic context, where
sleeping is not allowed. It calls clk_enable(), which takes the common-clk
enable_lock. Under PREEMPT_RT that is a sleeping lock:
clk_enable_lock() first tries spin_trylock_irqsave(), but on contention
falls back to spin_lock_irqsave(). Therefore, an atomic-context printk on
an RT kernel with a clk-backed pl011 can trip:
BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at spinlock_rt.c:48
__might_resched from rt_spin_lock
rt_spin_lock from clk_enable_lock
clk_enable_lock from clk_enable
clk_enable from pl011_console_write_atomic
... from vprintk_emit
This was found and reproduced on PREEMPT_RT. Arm32 and arm64 DT SoCs are
affected; arm64 SBSA/ACPI has no clk, so clk_enable(NULL) short-circuits
before the lock. In addition, write_atomic() may be invoked from NMI
context and is documented to avoid locking. Removing clk_enable() from
the callback also avoids a potentially unsafe NMI acquisition of the
common-clock enable_lock.
An nbcon atomic-capable console must be printable from any context, so
the clock cannot be gated between writes. Enable the clock while the
console is available for output: use clk_prepare_enable() in
pl011_console_setup(), release it via clk_disable_unprepare() in the
console .exit() callback, and drop the per-write clk_enable()/clk_disable()
pairs from write_atomic() and write_thread().
When printk suspends consoles, drop the reference after
uart_suspend_port() stops console access and restore it before
uart_resume_port() -- but only if suspend actually marked the port
suspended (a wake-capable tty stays running and must keep its clock), and
keep it when console_suspend_enabled is false so no_console_suspend works.
The active power cost of keeping the clock enabled is platform-dependent:
none where the UART clock is a fixed always-on oscillator, real where it
is a gateable clock branch, which then cannot be gated (nor possibly can
its parent clocks) while the console is available for output. When serial
core actually suspends the port, the reference is released so the clock
provider can gate the clock tree.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
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Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: serial: amba-pl011: keep console clock enabled for atomic writes pl011_console_write_atomic() runs from nbcon atomic context, where sleeping is not allowed. It calls clk_enable(), which takes the common-clk enable_lock. Under PREEMPT_RT that is a sleeping lock: clk_enable_lock() first tries spin_trylock_irqsave(), but on contention falls back to spin_lock_irqsave(). Therefore, an atomic-context printk on an RT kernel with a clk-backed pl011 can trip: BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at spinlock_rt.c:48 __might_resched from rt_spin_lock rt_spin_lock from clk_enable_lock clk_enable_lock from clk_enable clk_enable from pl011_console_write_atomic ... from vprintk_emit This was found and reproduced on PREEMPT_RT. Arm32 and arm64 DT SoCs are affected; arm64 SBSA/ACPI has no clk, so clk_enable(NULL) short-circuits before the lock. In addition, write_atomic() may be invoked from NMI context and is documented to avoid locking. Removing clk_enable() from the callback also avoids a potentially unsafe NMI acquisition of the common-clock enable_lock. An nbcon atomic-capable console must be printable from any context, so the clock cannot be gated between writes. Enable the clock while the console is available for output: use clk_prepare_enable() in pl011_console_setup(), release it via clk_disable_unprepare() in the console .exit() callback, and drop the per-write clk_enable()/clk_disable() pairs from write_atomic() and write_thread(). When printk suspends consoles, drop the reference after uart_suspend_port() stops console access and restore it before uart_resume_port() -- but only if suspend actually marked the port suspended (a wake-capable tty stays running and must keep its clock), and keep it when console_suspend_enabled is false so no_console_suspend works. The active power cost of keeping the clock enabled is platform-dependent: none where the UART clock is a fixed always-on oscillator, real where it is a gateable clock branch, which then cannot be gated (nor possibly can its parent clocks) while the console is available for output. When serial core actually suspends the port, the reference is released so the clock provider can gate the clock tree. | |
| Title | serial: amba-pl011: keep console clock enabled for atomic writes | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-09-17T16:08:50.331Z
Reserved: 2026-09-11T19:38:34.804Z
Link: CVE-2026-90338
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-09-17T17:17:32.393
Modified: 2026-09-17T17:17:32.393
Link: CVE-2026-90338
Redhat
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OpenCVE Enrichment
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Weaknesses
No weakness.