CVE-2026-23158

Kernel crash via post-free mutex unlock

Published Feb 14, 2026 · Updated Feb 14, 2026

Use-after-free in the gpio-virtuser configfs release path in Linux Kernel allows local users to crash the kernel during device removal. gpio_virtuser_device_config_group_release() destroys and frees the device while its guard(mutex) scope remains active, so cleanup calls mutex_unlock() on freed slab memory. Reaching the path requires root privileges or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to create and remove gpio-virtuser entries in configfs, and the documented consequence is loss of kernel availability.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the gpio-virtuser configfs release path in Linux Kernel allows local users to crash the kernel during device removal. gpio_virtuser_device_config_group_release() destroys and frees the device while its guard(mutex) scope remains active, so cleanup calls mutex_unlock() on freed slab memory. Reaching the path requires root privileges or CAP_SYS_ADMIN access to create and remove gpio-virtuser entries in configfs, and the documented consequence is loss of kernel availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23158
Published
Feb 14, 2026
Updated
Feb 14, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 14, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.11
  2. Affected versionversion=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <53ad4a948a4586359b841d607c08fb16c5503230
  3. Affected versionversion=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <7bec90f605cfb138006f5ba575f2310593347110
  4. Affected versionversion=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <815a8e3bf72811d402b30bd4a53cde5e9df7a563

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.11; version=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <53ad4a948a4586359b841d607c08fb16c5503230; version=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <7bec90f605cfb138006f5ba575f2310593347110; version=91581c4b3f29e2e22aeb1a62e842d529ca638b2d <815a8e3bf72811d402b30bd4a53cde5e9df7a563

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
5.5SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
6.9SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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