CVE-2026-10683: DesignWare I2C target driver can be wedged into a permanent stuck state by an on-bus master (DoS)

Published Jul 27, 2026
·
Updated

In the Synopsys DesignWare I2C driver (drivers/i2c/i2cdw.c) operating in target/slave mode, the rxfull interrupt handler gates the writerequested() callback on dw->state != CMDSEND, and dw->state is only reset to READY on a STOP interrupt. The STARTDET interrupt, whose handler in i2cdwslavereadclearintrbits() would reset the state on every (re)START, was never added to the enabled interrupt mask in i2cdwslaveregister(), so that recovery path was dead code.

As a result, if the STOP interrupt is lost (bus glitch/reset, or a concurrent master driving STOP) or the bus master issues a legal WRITE-repeated-START-WRITE sequence with the same direction, the driver remains in CMDSEND permanently and never invokes writerequested() again for the life of the target.

An I2C master on the same physical bus can deliberately trigger this, causing the I2C target function to malfunction for all subsequent write transactions and desynchronizing consumer framing state (e.g. MCTP-over-I2C), a recoverable-by-reset denial of service of the target peripheral.

The fix unmasks STARTDET so the state is reset at every bus (re)START. Impact is availability-only over a local board-level bus; no memory corruption results in the in-tree consumer, whose per-byte buffer write is independently bounds-checked.

Affected Software

2 affected components
Synopsys DesignWare I2C driver
zephyrproject zephyr>=4.0.0<4.5.0

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Configuration

    In i2c_dw.c target/slave mode, ensure START_DET is included/enabled in the interrupt mask set by i2c_dw_slave_register(), so the STOP-independent recovery path can reset dw->state at every START detection and prevent the target from getting stuck in CMD_SEND.

    Synopsys DesignWare I2C target driver (drivers/i2c/i2c_dw.c) START_DET interrupt enabled mask (i2c_dw_slave_register()) = unmask START_DET so the state is reset on every bus (re)START

Event History

Jul 27, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·06:30 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·06:30 PM
DescriptionSeverityWeakness
Data Sourced
via NVD·07:17 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2026-10683?

The severity of CVE-2026-10683 is classified as low with a score of 2.4.

2

How does CVE-2026-10683 affect the Synopsys DesignWare I2C driver?

CVE-2026-10683 may cause the driver to enter a permanent stuck state due to improper handling of state transitions.

3

What can cause CVE-2026-10683 to be triggered?

CVE-2026-10683 can be triggered by an on-bus master that incorrectly interacts with the I2C target driver.

4

What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-10683?

CVTE-2026-10683 can lead to a denial of service (DoS) condition, preventing normal operation of the I2C communication.

5

How can I mitigate the risk associated with CVE-2026-10683?

To mitigate the risk of CVE-2026-10683, ensure proper state management and implement watchdog timers in the I2C master.

Contact

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