# CVE-2026-16148: Kernel panic in the it82xx2 USB device controller driver via re-initialization of a busy delayable work item

Status: published. Published: 2026-09-14. Updated: 2026-11-04.

The ITE it82xx2 USB device-controller driver initialized its bus-suspend detection work with k_work_init_delayable(&priv->suspended_work, suspended_handler) inside it82xx2_enable() (the driver's .enable op) in drivers/usb/udc/udc_it82xx2.c. This work item is scheduled essentially continuously while the USB bus is active: the interrupt handler reschedules it on every SOF frame and suspended_handler() reschedules itself, so its timeout node is normally linked in the kernel timeout list / a workqueue pending queue.

k_work_init_delayable() (kernel/work.c) unconditionally overwrites the entire k_work_delayable structure, including its timeout and queue linkage, with no busy check. Because it82xx2_disable() does not cancel the work, a normal disable-then-enable cycle re-runs api->enable() (udc_enable() only rejects a redundant enable, not a re-enable after disable) and re-initializes the still-pending work in place, corrupting the kernel timeout/workqueue linked lists and causing a kernel panic.

An external USB host — for example a host performing USB DFU detach (dfu-util --detach) or forcing repeated attach/reset/re-enumeration — drives the udc_disable()/udc_enable() transitions and controls suspend/resume timing, so it can arrange for the suspend work to be pending across a re-enable. This yields an unauthenticated denial of service (kernel panic) reachable across the USB boundary from a removable, physically-connected host, with no confidentiality or integrity impact demonstrated.

The fix moves the k_work_init_delayable() call into the one-time preinit function so the work is initialized exactly once, eliminating the re-initialization of an in-use item.

## Remediation

- fix: The reporting source identifies this reference as a patch. Check the advisory for affected versions and supported release branches. (source: CNA: zephyr) — https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/350fd5dfd49e6aca99724fb3f0d4998fe28b4b6c

## Affected products and versions

- zephyrproject / zephyr (zephyr): ≥ 3.7.0; < 4.3.2 (affected, semver); ≥ 4.4.0; < 4.4.2 (affected, semver). Source: CNA: zephyr

## Severity and prioritization

- CVSS 3.1: 4.6 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H; source: CNA: zephyr

- CVSS 3.1: 4.6 (medium); CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H; source: NVD: vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.23% as of 2026-11-03; percentile 13.95%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: CWE-666

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/350fd5dfd49e6aca99724fb3f0d4998fe28b4b6c (CNA: zephyr; patch)

- https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-fvp9-j2pq-477x (CNA: zephyr)

- https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/350fd5dfd49e6aca99724fb3f0d4998fe28b4b6c (vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org)

- https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-fvp9-j2pq-477x (vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org)

## Provenance

- CNA: zephyr: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16148; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16148; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated 2026-11-04

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-16148; retrieved 2026-11-04; source updated Not reported

Revision: aa5fc8e287373704101b31ad51fd33d497c47f768aedaf7fd0aebe90d9f01f94

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-16148

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