Linux Kernel Vulnerability in Mediatek Hardware Related to GPIO Operations

CVE-2026-97501

What is CVE-2026-97501?

In the Linux kernel, a vulnerability in Mediatek hardware's GPIO operations arises due to improper management of the pinctrl mutex when changing GPIO directions. Functions that control GPIO direction do not properly account for the sleeping requirements of mutexes and spinlocks, leading to potential warnings and unstable behavior. To address this, it is recommended to directly invoke mtk_pinmux_gpio_set_direction() in GPIO set direction handlers, eliminating reliance on the pinctrl GPIO layer for direction settings.

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