---
id: CVE-2022-50250
title: 'regulator: core: fix use_count leakage when handling boot-on'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  regulator: core: fix use_count leakage when handling boot-on

  I found a use_count leakage towards supply regulator of rdev with
  boot-on option.

  ┌───────────────────┐  …
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= dc1b1d7faf616ed663d0bba9be5abb4d1ed35d01 <
    dc3391d49479bc2bf8a2b88dbf86fdd800882fee
  - >-
    Linux >= f44b07472f29ae313ce875dc7b9c75b100c608b8 <
    5bfc53df288e8ea54ca6866fb92034214940183f
  - >-
    Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b <
    4b737246ff50f810d6ab4be13c1388a07f0c14b1
  - >-
    Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b <
    feb847e6591e8c7a09cc39721cc9ca74fd9a5d80
  - >-
    Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b <
    4dd6e1cc9c7403f1ee1b7eee85bc31b797ae8347
  - >-
    Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b <
    bc6c381df5793ebcf32db88a3e65acf7870379fc
  - >-
    Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b <
    0591b14ce0398125439c759f889647369aa616a0
  - Linux >= 4.19.226 < 4.19.270
  - Linux >= 5.4.7 < 5.4.229
  - Linux 5.5
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T20:07:55.454954Z'
published: '2025-09-15'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T20:10:31.267Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-50250'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc3391d49479bc2bf8a2b88dbf86fdd800882fee'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5bfc53df288e8ea54ca6866fb92034214940183f'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b737246ff50f810d6ab4be13c1388a07f0c14b1'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/feb847e6591e8c7a09cc39721cc9ca74fd9a5d80'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4dd6e1cc9c7403f1ee1b7eee85bc31b797ae8347'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc6c381df5793ebcf32db88a3e65acf7870379fc'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0591b14ce0398125439c759f889647369aa616a0'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.0016
epssPercentile: 0.05166
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:31.712Z'
---

## Overview

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

regulator: core: fix use_count leakage when handling boot-on

I found a use_count leakage towards supply regulator of rdev with
boot-on option.

┌───────────────────┐           ┌───────────────────┐
│  regulator_dev A  │           │  regulator_dev B  │
│     (boot-on)     │           │     (boot-on)     │
│    use_count=0    │◀──supply──│    use_count=1    │
│                   │           │                   │
└───────────────────┘           └───────────────────┘

In case of rdev(A) configured with `regulator-boot-on', the use_count
of supplying regulator(B) will increment inside
regulator_enable(rdev->supply).

Thus, B will acts like always-on, and further balanced
regulator_enable/disable cannot actually disable it anymore.

However, B was also configured with `regulator-boot-on', we wish it
could be disabled afterwards.

## Affected

- `Linux >= dc1b1d7faf616ed663d0bba9be5abb4d1ed35d01 < dc3391d49479bc2bf8a2b88dbf86fdd800882fee`
- `Linux >= f44b07472f29ae313ce875dc7b9c75b100c608b8 < 5bfc53df288e8ea54ca6866fb92034214940183f`
- `Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b < 4b737246ff50f810d6ab4be13c1388a07f0c14b1`
- `Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b < feb847e6591e8c7a09cc39721cc9ca74fd9a5d80`
- `Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b < 4dd6e1cc9c7403f1ee1b7eee85bc31b797ae8347`
- `Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b < bc6c381df5793ebcf32db88a3e65acf7870379fc`
- `Linux >= 089b3f61ecfc43ca4ea26d595e1d31ead6de3f7b < 0591b14ce0398125439c759f889647369aa616a0`
- `Linux >= 4.19.226 < 4.19.270`
- `Linux >= 5.4.7 < 5.4.229`
- `Linux 5.5`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.