CVE-2026-31769 gpib: fix use-after-free in IO ioctl handlers

What is CVE-2026-31769?

CVE-2026-31769 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 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:

gpib: fix use-after-free in IO ioctl handlers

The IBRD, IBWRT, IBCMD, and IBWAIT ioctl handlers use a gpib_descriptor pointer after board->big_gpib_mutex has been released. A concurrent IBCLOSEDEV ioctl can free the descriptor via close_dev_ioctl() during this window, causing a use-after-free.

The IO handlers (read_ioctl, write_ioctl, command_ioctl) explicitly release big_gpib_mutex before calling their handler. wait_ioctl() is called with big_gpib_mutex held, but ibwait() releases it internally when wait_mask is non-zero. In all four cases, the descriptor pointer obtained from handle_to_descriptor() becomes unprotected.

Fix this by introducing a kernel-only descriptor_busy reference count in struct gpib_descriptor. Each handler atomically increments descriptor_busy under file_priv->descriptors_mutex before releasing the lock, and decrements it when done. close_dev_ioctl() checks descriptor_busy under the same lock and rejects the close with -EBUSY if the count is non-zero.

A reference count rather than a simple flag is necessary because multiple handlers can operate on the same descriptor concurrently (e.g. IBRD and IBWAIT on the same handle from different threads).

A separate counter is needed because io_in_progress can be cleared from unprivileged userspace via the IBWAIT ioctl (through general_ibstatus() with set_mask containing CMPL), which would allow an attacker to bypass a check based solely on io_in_progress. The new descriptor_busy counter is only modified by the kernel IO paths.

The lock ordering is consistent (big_gpib_mutex -> descriptors_mutex) and the handlers only hold descriptors_mutex briefly during the lookup, so there is no deadlock risk and no impact on IO throughput.

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-31769?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2026-31769?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2026-31769 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-31769 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

• CVE-2026-53266 Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2013-6282 Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation Exploited High 8.8
• CVE-2022-0185 Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2013-2094 Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation Exploited High 8.4
• CVE-2026-53362 Linux Kernel Unspecified Exploited High 7.8

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

• CVE record
• NVD
• OSV
• GitHub advisory
• How this page is made

Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-31769, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31769, GHSA-q8wr-mm46-444g, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-31769, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-31769, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-31769.