# CVE-2024-36899: gpiolib: cdev: Fix use after free in lineinfo_changed_notify

> A race condition in the Linux kernel GPIO subsystem causes a use-after-free, potentially leading to a denial of service.

- **Severity:** High 7.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 May 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-55548, BELL-CVE-2024-36899, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-36899, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-36899

## What is CVE-2024-36899?

CVE-2024-36899 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 30 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

gpiolib: cdev: Fix use after free in lineinfo_changed_notify

The use-after-free issue occurs as follows: when the GPIO chip device file
is being closed by invoking gpio_chrdev_release(), watched_lines is freed
by bitmap_free(), but the unregistration of lineinfo_changed_nb notifier
chain failed due to waiting write rwsem. Additionally, one of the GPIO
chip's lines is also in the release process and holds the notifier chain's
read rwsem. Consequently, a race condition leads to the use-after-free of
watched_lines.

Here is the typical stack when issue happened:

[free]
gpio_chrdev_release()
  --> bitmap_free(cdev->watched_lines)                  <-- freed
  --> blocking_notifier_chain_unregister()
    --> down_write(&nh->rwsem)                          <-- waiting rwsem
          --> __down_write_common()
            --> rwsem_down_write_slowpath()
                  --> schedule_preempt_disabled()
                    --> schedule()

[use]
st54spi_gpio_dev_release()
  --> gpio_free()
    --> gpiod_free()
      --> gpiod_free_commit()
        --> gpiod_line_state_notify()
          --> blocking_notifier_call_chain()
            --> down_read(&nh->rwsem);                  <-- held rwsem
            --> notifier_call_chain()
              --> lineinfo_changed_notify()
                --> test_bit(xxxx, cdev->watched_lines) <-- use after free

The side effect of the use-after-free issue is that a GPIO line event is
being generated for userspace where it shouldn't. However, since the chrdev
is being closed, userspace won't have the chance to read that event anyway.

To fix the issue, call the bitmap_free() function after the unregistration
of lineinfo_changed_nb notifier chain.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free), CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-36899?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-36899?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-36899 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-36899 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-36899 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-36899 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 30 May 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-36899 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36899/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36899/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-36899
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-36899
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-36899

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-36899/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.