The Linux kernel's hardware monitoring subsystem contains a use‑after‑free bug in pec_store where a guard around the device mutex is released after the device reference count drops to zero during a write error. This releases a mutex that may already be freed, causing a kernel panic or, in some contexts, enabling the execution of arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The flaw is a classic Use‑After‑Free and involves improper resource cleanup (CWE‑825).

Every Linux kernel release that contains the buggy pec_store implementation is affected. The fix is incorporated in the commit referenced by the advisory; upgrading to any kernel that includes that commit removes the race condition between device release and mutex unlock. No other vendor or product is limited beyond the Linux kernel itself.

The CVSS score of 5.5 classifies the vulnerability as moderate severity, while the EPSS score of <1% indicates a very low current exploitation probability. The vulnerability is not listed in CISA KEV. The attack vector is inferred to be local privileged‑user: a process that can trigger a failing hwmon write operation can exploit the race between device free and mutex release, potentially crashing the kernel or enabling kernel‑level code execution.