CVE-2026-31473

OVERVIEW CVE-2026-31473 is a race condition vulnerability in the Linux kernel's media subsystem affecting the Video for Linux 2 (V4L2) and Media Controller frameworks. The vulnerability occurs when the MEDIA_REQUEST_IOC_REINIT ioctl can execute concurrently with VIDIOC_REQBUFS queue teardown operations, creating an opportunity for request object cleanup to race against vb2 queue cancellation. This flaw specifically impacts request-capable media devices. SEVERITY The vulnerability has a low EPSS score of 0.000240 and a FAUCET risk score of 20.0/100, indicating minimal exploitation likelihood. The attack vector requires local access and involves moderate complexity, as an attacker must construct concurrent ioctl calls to trigger the race condition. The primary impact is a use-after-free condition that could lead to kernel memory corruption, denial of service, or potential code execution with local privilege escalation on affected systems. EXPLOITATION STATUS This vulnerability is not currently being actively exploited in the wild and has not been added to the CISA KEV catalog. There is no widespread public exploit code available. Community attention appears limited given the low EPSS score and FAUCET risk rating. The fix involves serializing request operations with req_queue_mutex to prevent concurrent execution of cleanup and cancellation routines.