CVE-2026-22986

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gpiolib: fix race condition for gdev->srcu If two drivers were calling gpiochip_add_data_with_key(), one may be traversing the srcu-protected list in gpio_name_to_desc(), meanwhile other has just added its gdev in gpiodev_add_to_list_unlocked(). This creates a non-mutexed and non-protected timeframe, when one instance is dereferencing and using &gdev->srcu, before the other has initialized it, resulting in crash: [ 4.935481] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address ffff800272bcc000 [ 4.943396] Mem abort info: [ 4.943400] ESR = 0x0000000096000005 [ 4.943403] EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits [ 4.943407] SET = 0, FnV = 0 [ 4.943410] EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 [ 4.943413] FSC = 0x05: level 1 translation fault [ 4.943416] Data abort info: [ 4.943418] ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000005, ISS2 = 0x00000000 [ 4.946220] CM = 0, WnR = 0, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 [ 4.955261] GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 [ 4.955268] swapper pgtable: 4k pages, 48-bit VAs, pgdp=0000000038e6c000 [ 4.961449] [ffff800272bcc000] pgd=0000000000000000 [ 4.969203] , p4d=1000000039739003 [ 4.979730] , pud=0000000000000000 [ 4.980210] phandle (CPU): 0x0000005e, phandle (BE): 0x5e000000 for node "reset" [ 4.991736] Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000005 [#1] PREEMPT SMP ... [ 5.121359] pc : __srcu_read_lock+0x44/0x98 [ 5.131091] lr : gpio_name_to_desc+0x60/0x1a0 [ 5.153671] sp : ffff8000833bb430 [ 5.298440] [ 5.298443] Call trace: [ 5.298445] __srcu_read_lock+0x44/0x98 [ 5.309484] gpio_name_to_desc+0x60/0x1a0 [ 5.320692] gpiochip_add_data_with_key+0x488/0xf00 5.946419] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- Move initialization code for gdev fields before it is added to gpio_devices, with adjacent initialization code. Adjust goto statements to reflect modified order of operations [Bartosz: fixed a build issue, removed stray newline]

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-01-23
Last modified 2026-04-22
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

4.7

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-362

CVE-2026-22986 is a Race Condition vulnerability

What is Race Condition?

The product contains a code sequence that can run concurrently with other code, creating unexpected states. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.9 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.83, 6.18.6, 6.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.9
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.83 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.6 6.18.x ✓ 6.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-22986 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-22986?

    CVE-2026-22986 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 4.7 out of 10 , classified as a Race Condition flaw (CWE-362) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.9 onward and has been patched in 6.12.83, 6.18.6 and 6.19. CVE-2026-22986 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-22986?

    CVE-2026-22986 has a CVSS score of 4.7 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-22986?

    Yes — CVE-2026-22986 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.83, 6.18.6 and 6.19. If you are running Linux kernel 6.9 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-22986 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-22986 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Race Condition (CWE-362)?

    The product contains a code sequence that can run concurrently with other code, creating unexpected states. View CWE-362 on MITRE CWE →