[PATCH v2] Input: tca8418_keypad - fix potential infinite loop and OOB access on invalid keycodes

From: Liang Zhan

Date: Sat Jul 25 2026 - 04:13:10 EST


The current code checks the raw register value against zero to detect an empty FIFO. However, the TCA8418 datasheet defines key code 0 as the empty-FIFO condition. If the hardware returns garbage data, the loop may never terminate and the extracted keycode can cause an out-of-bounds access on keymap[].

Move the empty-FIFO check to operate on the extracted key code so that
the loop terminates correctly. Additionally, validate row/column indices
against the configured matrix dimensions before indexing into the
keymap array, skipping invalid events.

Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Zhian Liang <liangzhan5dev@xxxxxxxxx>
---
changes in v2:
- Moved empty-FIFO check to operate on extracted key code instead of
raw register value.
- Added row/col validation against configured matrix dimensions.
- Dropped explicit 0xFF check as requested.
---
drivers/input/keyboard/tca8418_keypad.c | 19 ++++++++++++++++---
1 file changed, 16 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/input/keyboard/tca8418_keypad.c b/drivers/input/keyboard/tca8418_keypad.c
index b124e576feca..36d4a7c38bb1 100644
--- a/drivers/input/keyboard/tca8418_keypad.c
+++ b/drivers/input/keyboard/tca8418_keypad.c
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ struct tca8418_keypad {
struct input_dev *input;

unsigned int row_shift;
+ unsigned int rows;
+ unsigned int cols;
};

/*
@@ -171,19 +173,28 @@ static void tca8418_read_keypad(struct tca8418_keypad *keypad_data)
break;
}

- /* Assume that key code 0 signifies empty FIFO */
- if (reg <= 0)
- break;

state = reg & KEY_EVENT_VALUE;
code = reg & KEY_EVENT_CODE;

+ /* Key code 0 signifies empty FIFO */
+ if (!code)
+ break;
+
row = code / TCA8418_MAX_COLS;
col = code % TCA8418_MAX_COLS;

row = (col) ? row : row - 1;
col = (col) ? col - 1 : TCA8418_MAX_COLS - 1;

+ /* Validate against configured matrix size */
+ if (row >= keypad_data->rows || col >= keypad_data->cols) {
+ dev_err(&keypad_data->client->dev,
+ "invalid key code %d (row %d, col %d)\n",
+ code, row, col);
+ continue;
+ }
+
code = MATRIX_SCAN_CODE(row, col, keypad_data->row_shift);
input_event(input, EV_MSC, MSC_SCAN, code);
input_report_key(input, keymap[code], state);
@@ -298,6 +309,8 @@ static int tca8418_keypad_probe(struct i2c_client *client)

keypad_data->client = client;
keypad_data->row_shift = row_shift;
+ keypad_data->rows = rows;
+ keypad_data->cols = cols;

/* Read key lock register, if this fails assume device not present */
error = tca8418_read_byte(keypad_data, REG_KEY_LCK_EC, &reg);
--
2.34.1