The kernel patch a4e772898f8b introduced a bug in pci_slot_trylock that removes the unlock of a bridge device when a nested bus lock acquisition fails. The legacy code would unlock the bridge device on failure, but the new code leaves an unintended pci_dev_unlock in place. This mismatch can lead to two kinds of errors: a warning that a lock is being released without being held, or an incorrect release of a lock owned by another thread. The result is corrupted lock state that can cause kernel crashes, data corruption, or denial of service.

All Linux kernel installations where the buggy pci_slot_trylock implementation is present are affected. The CVE lists only the Linux vendor and provides no precise version range. Any kernel version older than the commit a4e772898f8b is potentially vulnerable until the code that removes the redundant unlock is applied.

The CVSS score and EPSS are not provided, but the KEV status indicates the vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV. According to the description, exploitation would require triggering the faulting code path with sufficient privileges, for example by loading a malicious kernel module or driver that invokes pci_slot_trylock failures. The likely attack vector is local privileged code execution; this inference is based on the need for kernel interaction to produce the erroneous unlock. No exploits are currently documented. Although the likelihood of exploitation remains low without an off‑the‑shelf exploit, the potential impact of kernel instability warrants timely remediation.