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CVE-2026-98266

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: core: Fix potential UAF after asynchronous card release Usually a sound driver releases the resources assigned to the card via snd_card_free(), and it synchronizes with the whole release procedure. However, when the card is released asynchronously via snd_card_free_when_closed() like USB-audio driver, the situation is slightly different; although the snd_card_disconnect() call at the disconnection guarantees that any newer accesses will be gated, the in-flight tasks might be still accessing to the underlying card->dev device even after the disconnection, which would cause a use-after-free in the end, as reported by fuzzers. For addressing the bug above, this patch takes the refcount of card->dev at initialization of the card object, and releases at its destructor. This assures the availability of the card->dev in its whole lifecycle.

Severity
Not scored
CVSS score
Not available
Vulnerability status
Received
Source identifier
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Published
2026-10-06 09:18:15.960000
Last modified
2026-10-19 10:18:27.847000
View original CVE JSON
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-98266",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
  "published": "2026-10-06T09:18:15.960",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-19T10:18:27.847",
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nALSA: core: Fix potential UAF after asynchronous card release\n\nUsually a sound driver releases the resources assigned to the card via\nsnd_card_free(), and it synchronizes with the whole release procedure.\nHowever, when the card is released asynchronously via\nsnd_card_free_when_closed() like USB-audio driver, the situation is\nslightly different; although the snd_card_disconnect() call at the\ndisconnection guarantees that any newer accesses will be gated, the\nin-flight tasks might be still accessing to the underlying card->dev\ndevice even after the disconnection, which would cause a\nuse-after-free in the end, as reported by fuzzers.\n\nFor addressing the bug above, this patch takes the refcount of\ncard->dev at initialization of the card object, and releases at its\ndestructor.   This assures the availability of the card->dev in its\nwhole lifecycle."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "programFiles": [
            "sound/core/init.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
              "lessThan": "5c0df40aa577e405c458e44e8d458dd78407f4af",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
              "lessThan": "2dec4642589a663e064e4411d92d6e8fa250d53b",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
              "lessThan": "398b21608955c9712a012355b69a39407367edc9",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2",
              "lessThan": "fd95e68df6fe66344161a1329cbe5e5805e7b704",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "programFiles": [
            "sound/core/init.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "2.6.12",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "2.6.12",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.12.112",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.18.54",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.2.8",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.3",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {},
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dec4642589a663e064e4411d92d6e8fa250d53b",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/398b21608955c9712a012355b69a39407367edc9",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5c0df40aa577e405c458e44e8d458dd78407f4af",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd95e68df6fe66344161a1329cbe5e5805e7b704",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
  ]
}