# CVE-2026-31473: media: mc, v4l2: serialize REINIT and REQBUFS with req_queue_mutex

> A race condition in the Linux kernel media subsystem allows use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/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:** 22 Apr 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-83378, BELL-CVE-2026-31473, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31473, GHSA-3535-jv42-vvc3, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-31473, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-31473, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-31473, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-31473, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-31473, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-31473

## What is CVE-2026-31473?

CVE-2026-31473 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Apr 2026. 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:

media: mc, v4l2: serialize REINIT and REQBUFS with req_queue_mutex

MEDIA_REQUEST_IOC_REINIT can run concurrently with VIDIOC_REQBUFS(0)
queue teardown paths. This can race request object cleanup against vb2
queue cancellation and lead to use-after-free reports.

We already serialize request queueing against STREAMON/OFF with
req_queue_mutex. Extend that serialization to REQBUFS, and also take
the same mutex in media_request_ioctl_reinit() so REINIT is in the
same exclusion domain.

This keeps request cleanup and queue cancellation from running in
parallel for request-capable devices.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-31473?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-31473?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-31473 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-31473 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-2026-31473 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-31473 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Apr 2026. 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-2026-31473 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-2026-31473/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-31473/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-31473
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31473
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-31473

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-31473/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.