CVE-2026-45868: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: pinctrl: single: fix refcount leak in pcs_add_gpio_func() of_parse_phandle_with_args() returns a device_node pointer with refcount incremented in gpiospec.np. The loop iterates through all phandles but never releases the reference, causing a refcount leak on each iteration. Add of_node_put() calls to release the reference after extracting the needed arguments and on the error path when devm_kzalloc() fails. This bug was detected by our static analysis tool and verified by my code review.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-45868, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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