CVE-2026-43181
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GPIO Chip Removal with Exported Sysfs GPIOs in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-05-06

Last updated on: 2026-05-11

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gpio: sysfs: fix chip removal with GPIOs exported over sysfs Currently if we export a GPIO over sysfs and unbind the parent GPIO controller, the exported attribute will remain under /sys/class/gpio because once we remove the parent device, we can no longer associate the descriptor with it in gpiod_unexport() and never drop the final reference. Rework the teardown code: provide an unlocked variant of gpiod_unexport() and remove all exported GPIOs with the sysfs_lock taken before unregistering the parent device itself. This is done to prevent any new exports happening before we unregister the device completely.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-06
Last Modified
2026-05-11
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-05-06
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-43181
EUVD
EUVD-2026-27743
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.6 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.17 (inc) to 6.18.16 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves the improper removal of GPIOs exported over sysfs. If a GPIO is exported and the parent GPIO controller is unbound, the exported attribute remains under /sys/class/gpio because the system cannot properly associate and unexport the GPIO. This can lead to stale or orphaned GPIO entries in sysfs, potentially causing resource management issues or unexpected behavior in systems relying on GPIO state.

Executive Summary

This vulnerability occurs in the Linux kernel's GPIO sysfs interface. When a GPIO is exported over sysfs and the parent GPIO controller is unbound or removed, the exported GPIO attribute remains in the /sys/class/gpio directory. This happens because after the parent device is removed, the system can no longer associate the GPIO descriptor with the parent device in the unexport function (gpiod_unexport), causing the final reference to never be dropped.

The fix involves reworking the teardown code to provide an unlocked variant of gpiod_unexport() and removing all exported GPIOs while holding the sysfs_lock before unregistering the parent device. This prevents new exports from occurring before the device is fully unregistered.

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