Linux Kernel up to 7.2.6/7.3-rc2 GPIO Secondary Firmware Node gpio_secondary_fwnode_init use after free

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 7.2.6/7.3-rc2. Affected by this vulnerability is the function gpio_secondary_fwnode_init of the component GPIO Secondary Firmware Node Handler. Performing a manipulation results in use after free. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2026-98397. The attack must be initiated from a local position. There is no exploit available. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 7.2.6/7.3-rc2. This affects the function gpio_secondary_fwnode_init of the component GPIO Secondary Firmware Node Handler. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: platform/x86: x86-android-tablets: hold device reference for secondary fwnode teardown In gpio_secondary_fwnode_init(), acpi_bus_find_device_by_name() returns a device reference, but the local dev variable is declared with __free(put_device), dropping the reference at the end of each iteration. Meanwhile, devm_add_action_or_reset() saves the dev pointer for gpio_secondary_unset() without incrementing its reference count, which could lead to a use-after-free during driver teardown if the device is released in the interim. Acquire an explicit device reference with get_device() when registering the devres action, and drop it with put_device() inside gpio_secondary_unset().

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2026-98397 since 09/25/2026. The exploitability is told to be easy. Attacking locally is a requirement. Additional levels of successful authentication are needed for exploitation. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 10/14/2026).

Upgrading to version 7.2.7 or 7.3-rc3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch c62b6e081119f2ab03cfcafde1f83c0f50e8e726/144113b0a70fa18033a747ee5db6803308f7688c is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 7.2.0
• 7.2.1
• 7.2.2
• 7.2.3
• 7.2.4
• 7.2.5
• 7.2.6
• 7.3-rc1
• 7.3-rc2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

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