Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ASoC: soc-core: flush delayed work before removing DAIs and widgets

When a sound card is unbound while a PCM stream is open, a
use-after-free can occur in snd_soc_dapm_stream_event(), called from
the close_delayed_work workqueue handler.

During unbind, snd_soc_unbind_card() flushes delayed work and then
calls soc_cleanup_card_resources(). Inside cleanup,
snd_card_disconnect_sync() releases all PCM file descriptors, and
the resulting PCM close path can call snd_soc_dapm_stream_stop()
which schedules new delayed work with a pmdown_time timer delay.
Since this happens after the flush in snd_soc_unbind_card(), the
new work is not caught. soc_remove_link_components() then frees
DAPM widgets before this work fires, leading to the use-after-free.

The existing flush in soc_free_pcm_runtime() also cannot help as it
runs after soc_remove_link_components() has already freed the widgets.

Add a flush in soc_cleanup_card_resources() after
snd_card_disconnect_sync() (after which no new PCM closes can
schedule further delayed work) and before soc_remove_link_dais()
and soc_remove_link_components() (which tear down the structures the
delayed work accesses).
Published: 2026-05-08
Score: 7.3 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

The ALSA ASoC subsystem in the Linux kernel has a flaw that can cause a use‑after‑free when a sound card is unbound while audio streams are still active. The vulnerability occurs in the delayed‑work routine scheduled during the card unbinding process, which may reference DAPM widgets that have already been freed. A successful exploitation could corrupt kernel memory or lead to arbitrary code execution, and the impact is encapsulated by the CVSS score of 7.3.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel builds that include the ALSA ASoC core before the posted fix are affected. The CPE data lists Linux kernel versions 7.0 releases candidates (RC1, RC2, RC3) and other kernels over that tree. Any distribution shipping an unpatched kernel with the vulnerable ASoC implementation is at risk.

Risk and Exploitability

The vulnerability is a local‑only issue; an attacker must trigger the unbind while streams are open, which normally requires local or root privileges. The EPSS score is less than 1 %, indicating a low probability of immediate exploitation. The vulnerability is not in CISA’s KEV set, and no public exploits are known. If successfully triggered, the use‑after‑free can lead to kernel panic or error codes, or if an attacker gains control, to escalated privileges.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 21, 2026 at 20:05 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply a kernel update that incorporates the fix for the ASoC use‑after‑free flaw.
  • If an update cannot be applied immediately, disable or unload the ALSA sound modules to prevent sound card unbinding while streams are active, thereby eliminating the unbind scenario.
  • For custom or legacy kernels that cannot be updated, manually cherry‑pick the relevant commit(s) from the Linux kernel git tree, rebuild the kernel, and install the patched binaries.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on May 21, 2026 at 20:05 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories
Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4606-1 linux security update
History

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*

Mon, 11 May 2026 15:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416

Mon, 11 May 2026 07:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}


Sat, 09 May 2026 12:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-364
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.0, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Fri, 08 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416

Fri, 08 May 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ASoC: soc-core: flush delayed work before removing DAIs and widgets When a sound card is unbound while a PCM stream is open, a use-after-free can occur in snd_soc_dapm_stream_event(), called from the close_delayed_work workqueue handler. During unbind, snd_soc_unbind_card() flushes delayed work and then calls soc_cleanup_card_resources(). Inside cleanup, snd_card_disconnect_sync() releases all PCM file descriptors, and the resulting PCM close path can call snd_soc_dapm_stream_stop() which schedules new delayed work with a pmdown_time timer delay. Since this happens after the flush in snd_soc_unbind_card(), the new work is not caught. soc_remove_link_components() then frees DAPM widgets before this work fires, leading to the use-after-free. The existing flush in soc_free_pcm_runtime() also cannot help as it runs after soc_remove_link_components() has already freed the widgets. Add a flush in soc_cleanup_card_resources() after snd_card_disconnect_sync() (after which no new PCM closes can schedule further delayed work) and before soc_remove_link_dais() and soc_remove_link_components() (which tear down the structures the delayed work accesses).
Title ASoC: soc-core: flush delayed work before removing DAIs and widgets
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-05-11T22:24:59.782Z

Reserved: 2026-05-01T14:12:56.010Z

Link: CVE-2026-43459

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2026-05-08T15:16:58.753

Modified: 2026-05-21T16:45:58.407

Link: CVE-2026-43459

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2026-05-08T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2026-43459 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-05-21T20:15:18Z

Weaknesses