A memory‑management flaw was discovered in the Linux kernel’s Advanced Sound Architecture (ASoC) driver for the sma1307 audio codec. The bug arises when the driver attempts to free device‑managed memory allocated with devm_kzalloc() via a manual kfree() loop during error handling. Because devm_kzalloc() memory is automatically freed by the device‑resource allocator, the manual kfree causes a double‑free (CWE-415). This misuse also violates device‑resource management best practices (CWE-763). A double‑free can corrupt kernel memory, potentially leading to a kernel panic or other unintended behavior, but there is no documented evidence that it can be leveraged for privilege escalation.

Affected systems run Linux kernel versions that include the sma1307 driver before the revert commit. The vulnerability is present in kernel 6.15 and all 7.0 release candidates up to rc7. Any system that has the sma1307 driver enabled and is running a kernel before the applied patch is susceptible. Systems using more recent stable kernels that incorporate the fix are not affected.

The CVSS score of 7.8 reflects high severity, while the EPSS score of < 1 % indicates a low likelihood of exploitation in the wild. The issue is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation requires the attacker to trigger the driver’s error path, which generally necessitates local presence or the ability to load the driver. Once triggered, it can lead to a kernel panic, service disruption, or other unintended behavior. Administrators should treat it as a high‑risk local vulnerability.