CVE-2026-46202

HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues

published May 28, 2026

CVSS
—
EPSS
0%
Percentile
6.0
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues

The autodim code in hid-appletb-kbd takes backlight_device->ops_lock

via backlight_device_set_brightness() -> mutex_lock() from two

different atomic contexts:

* appletb_inactivity_timer() is a struct timer_list callback, so it

runs in softirq context. Every expiry triggers

BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at kernel/locking/mutex.c:591

Call Trace:

<IRQ>

__might_resched

__mutex_lock

backlight_device_set_brightness

appletb_inactivity_timer

call_timer_fn

run_timer_softirq

* reset_inactivity_timer() is called from appletb_kbd_hid_event() and

appletb_kbd_inp_event(). On real USB hardware these run in

softirq/IRQ context (URB completion and input-event dispatch).

When the Touch Bar has already been dimmed or turned off, the

reset path calls backlight_device_set_brightness() directly to

restore brightness, producing the same warning.

Both call sites hit the same mutex_lock()-from-atomic bug. Fix them

together by moving the blocking work onto the system workqueue:

* Convert the inactivity timer from struct timer_list to

struct delayed_work; the callback (appletb_inactivity_work) now

runs in process context where mutex_lock() is legal.

* Add a dedicated struct work_struct restore_brightness_work and have

reset_inactivity_timer() schedule it instead of calling

backlight_device_set_brightness() directly.

Cancel both works synchronously during driver tear-down alongside the

existing backlight reference drop.

The semantics are unchanged (same delays, same state transitions on

dim, turn-off and user activity); only the execution context of the

sleeping call changes. The timer field and callback are renamed to

match their new type; reset_inactivity_timer() keeps its name because

it is invoked from input event paths that read naturally as "reset

the inactivity timer".

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00170 · 6.0th percentile
Published
2026-05-28T09:40Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 28 MAY 09:40Z
    HID: appletb-kbd: run inactivity autodim from workqueues
    cvelistv5