CVE-2026-22986 – A race condition in the Linux kernel's GPIO sub... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2026-22986?

CVE-2026-22986 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (MEDIUM). A race condition in the Linux kernel's GPIO subsystem allows concurrent gpiochip_add_data_with_key() calls to cause kernel crashes. This affects systems using GPIO functionality where multiple drivers attempt to initialize GPIO devices simultaneously, potentially leading to system instability.

📋 TL;DR

A race condition in the Linux kernel's GPIO subsystem allows concurrent gpiochip_add_data_with_key() calls to cause kernel crashes. This affects systems using GPIO functionality where multiple drivers attempt to initialize GPIO devices simultaneously, potentially leading to system instability.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel

Versions: Specific versions not specified in CVE, but affects kernels with vulnerable gpiolib code before fixes at git commits a7ac22d53d0990152b108c3f4fe30df45fcb0181 and fb674c8f1a5d8dd3113a7326030f963fa2d79c02

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using GPIO functionality. Embedded systems, IoT devices, and systems with GPIO hardware are most at risk.

📦 What is this software?

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

Linux Kernel by Linux

The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...

Learn more about Linux Kernel →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Kernel panic and system crash resulting in denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability or crash during device initialization, particularly in embedded systems with multiple GPIO devices.

🟢

If Mitigated

No impact if patched or if GPIO functionality is not used.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger the race condition.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Could be triggered by malicious local users or during normal system operations with multiple GPIO devices.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: UNKNOWN

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: MEDIUM - Requires triggering a specific race condition during GPIO initialization.

Exploitation requires local access and ability to trigger concurrent GPIO device initialization.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Kernel versions containing commits a7ac22d53d0990152b108c3f4fe30df45fcb0181 and fb674c8f1a5d8dd3113a7326030f963fa2d79c02

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7ac22d53d0990152b108c3f4fe30df45fcb0181

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits
2. Reboot system to load new kernel
3. Verify kernel version with 'uname -r'

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable GPIO functionality

linux

Remove or disable GPIO drivers/modules if not needed

modprobe -r gpio_module_name
blacklist gpio modules in /etc/modprobe.d/

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Restrict local user access to prevent malicious triggering of race condition
Monitor system logs for GPIO-related crashes and restart affected services

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check kernel version and verify if GPIO functionality is enabled. Look for kernel logs showing 'gpiochip_add_data_with_key' or 'gpio_name_to_desc' errors.

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version contains fix commits: 'git log --oneline | grep -E "a7ac22d53d0990152b108c3f4fe30df45fcb0181|fb674c8f1a5d8dd3113a7326030f963fa2d79c02"'

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages
'Unable to handle kernel paging request' errors
GPIO-related crash logs
Call traces showing gpiochip_add_data_with_key or gpio_name_to_desc

Network Indicators:

None - local vulnerability

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND ("gpiochip_add_data_with_key" OR "gpio_name_to_desc" OR "Unable to handle kernel paging request")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2026-22986

CVSS v3 Score: 4.7 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CWE: CWE-362

EPSS Score: 0.02% exploit probability (6th percentile)

Published: January 23, 2026

Last Updated: February 26, 2026

🔗 References

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