CVE-2024-42095

What it actually does

Uncorrected erroneous timeout interrupt on 8250_omap serial hardware triggers an unhandled condition that generates a continuous storm of interrupts, consuming CPU and potentially causing system unresponsiveness.

Why it matters to the business

Devices using affected TI OMAP serial controllers may experience sudden performance degradation or complete denial of service until the system is restarted or the driver is updated, disrupting operations on embedded and industrial Linux systems.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker or environmental condition triggers the hardware errata on TI OMAP serial ports; without the errata workaround the kernel fails to clear the spurious interrupt, resulting in an interrupt storm that overwhelms the system scheduler.

How to fix it

Update the Linux kernel to the commit 62fb9874f5da54fdb243003b386128037319b219 or later versions that implement the Errata i2310 workaround in the 8250_omap driver.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the running kernel contains commit 62fb9874f5da54fdb243003b386128037319b219, confirm the 8250_omap driver source includes the errata clearing sequence, and test serial port functionality under load on affected hardware.

Typical attack path

1. Identify or control a system using 8250_omap serial driver on affected TI hardware
2. Trigger the conditions described in Errata i2310 to generate an erroneous timeout interrupt
3. Allow the unhandled interrupt to propagate without the clearing sequence
4. Observe resulting interrupt storm leading to CPU saturation or system hang

How to detect it

Examine kernel logs and dmesg output for repeated erroneous timeout or unhandled interrupt messages originating from the 8250_omap driver; correlate with high interrupt counts on serial IRQs.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on all systems using TI OMAP serial hardware
• Review boot logs and dmesg for repeated interrupt or timeout messages on serial devices
• Apply the fix during the next maintenance window if systems are not yet updated
• Monitor EPSS and KEV feeds for any future changes in exploitability