CVE-2026-90032 - Vulnerability Details

- media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists

Description

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

media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists

The ALSA PCM callbacks store the driver state in pcm->private_data. An
open PCM file can outlive USB disconnect because usbtv_audio_free() uses
snd_card_free_when_closed(). The disconnect path can then drop the V4L2
device reference and free struct usbtv before ALSA releases the substream,
so a later close dereferences freed memory in snd_usbtv_pcm_close().

Take a V4L2 device reference for the ALSA card and drop it from the card
private_free callback. This keeps struct usbtv valid until ALSA has closed
the remaining files and freed the card.

Published: 2026-09-16

Score: 7.8 High

EPSS: < 1% Very Low

KEV: No

Impact:

Action:

Analysis

Impact

The flaw occurs when a USBTV audio device is disconnected while an ALSA PCM stream remains open. State information stored in the PCM private data is freed by the USB disconnect path before the ALSA substream is closed, resulting in a use‑after‑free when snd_usbtv_pcm_close() dereferences the freed structure. This kernel memory corruption can lead to a crash or, if an attacker controls the freed memory contents, arbitrary code execution. The weakness is a classic use‑after‑free vulnerability.

Affected Systems

All Linux kernel versions that include the usbtv media driver and provide ALSA audio support are affected. The bug manifests on any system that plugs in a USBTV device while an ALSA PCM stream is open, without a known restricted version list. Linux kernel distributions that ship the usbtv driver prior to the patch contain the flaw.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates a high‑severity vulnerability, and the EPSS score of less than 1% indicates a low likelihood of exploitation in the wild. The flaw is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog. Exploitation would likely require local or device‑level privileged USB access to insert a malicious USBTV cable while a PCM stream is active, after which the system could crash or the attacker could achieve kernel code execution. Given the low EPSS, the risk is moderate but should be mitigated promptly.

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

Linux

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 97b5e8b22b98e287481a97a9a4cfebbb348738a5
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 503be26ff888cb3576e55d251895d290e8146f27
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< be0f7745f883386e5263b4e475686a81dfa87175
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 67374e3a00814dcdd46e9feca61f69f7f2d81957
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 239d1683e08b2aee2a15ef35706e1ea9a76681d8
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 7690a86b193271322cd31ab77349a87aa10858e4
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< 1618257cb0aba4ce342ae8c0228368c24161f5fb
`63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36`	affected	< fc530fe168bb2b745a93f553ad21fc25fd9cba3d

Linux

affected

Version	Status	Constraints
`3.18`	affected	—
`0`	unaffected	< 3.18
`5.10.270`	unaffected	≤ 5.10.*
`5.15.221`	unaffected	≤ 5.15.*
`6.1.188`	unaffected	≤ 6.1.*
`6.6.157`	unaffected	≤ 6.6.*
`6.12.110`	unaffected	≤ 6.12.*
`6.18.51`	unaffected	≤ 6.18.*
`7.2.5`	unaffected	≤ 7.2.*
`7.3-rc1`	unaffected	≤ *

No data.

Vendor Product Confidence Versions

Linux

Linux Kernel

99%

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,97b5e8b22b98e287481a97a9a4cfebbb348738a5)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,503be26ff888cb3576e55d251895d290e8146f27)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,be0f7745f883386e5263b4e475686a81dfa87175)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,67374e3a00814dcdd46e9feca61f69f7f2d81957)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,239d1683e08b2aee2a15ef35706e1ea9a76681d8)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,7690a86b193271322cd31ab77349a87aa10858e4)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,1618257cb0aba4ce342ae8c0228368c24161f5fb)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36,fc530fe168bb2b745a93f553ad21fc25fd9cba3d)`	affected	code_commit	—

Linux

Linux Kernel

99%

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`3.18`	affected	generic	—
`[0,3.18)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[5.10.270,5.11.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[5.15.221,5.16.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[6.1.188,6.2.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[6.6.157,6.7.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[6.12.110,6.13.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[6.18.51,6.19.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[7.2.5,7.3.0)`	unaffected	semver	—
`[7.3-rc1,*]`	unaffected	generic	—

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Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

Update the Linux kernel to a version that includes the usbtv fix (e.g., commit 1618257c or later).
If an immediate kernel update is not possible, ensure that all ALSA PCM streams are closed before disconnecting the USBTV device to avoid the use‑after‑free path.
As a temporary measure, or on systems where the bug can be reproduced during testing, disable the usbtv driver or the specific USBTV hardware until the kernel is patched.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on September 18, 2026 at 06:47 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

Source	ID	Title
Debian DLA	DLA-4817-1	linux-6.12 security update
Debian DSA	DSA-6528-1	linux security update

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

The EPSS score is 0.00176.

Key SSVC decision points have not yet been added.

References

Link	Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1618257cb0aba4ce342ae8c0228368c24161f5fb
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/239d1683e08b2aee2a15ef35706e1ea9a76681d8
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/503be26ff888cb3576e55d251895d290e8146f27
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67374e3a00814dcdd46e9feca61f69f7f2d81957
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7690a86b193271322cd31ab77349a87aa10858e4
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97b5e8b22b98e287481a97a9a4cfebbb348738a5
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be0f7745f883386e5263b4e475686a81dfa87175
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc530fe168bb2b745a93f553ad21fc25fd9cba3d

History

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 07:15:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Weaknesses		CWE-416

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		cvssV3_1 `{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}`

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists The ALSA PCM callbacks store the driver state in pcm->private_data. An open PCM file can outlive USB disconnect because usbtv_audio_free() uses snd_card_free_when_closed(). The disconnect path can then drop the V4L2 device reference and free struct usbtv before ALSA releases the substream, so a later close dereferences freed memory in snd_usbtv_pcm_close(). Take a V4L2 device reference for the ALSA card and drop it from the card private_free callback. This keeps struct usbtv valid until ALSA has closed the remaining files and freed the card.
Title		media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists
First Time appeared		Linux Linux linux Kernel
CPEs		cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
Vendors & Products		Linux Linux linux Kernel
References		https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1618257cb0aba4ce342ae8c0228368c24161f5fb https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/239d1683e08b2aee2a15ef35706e1ea9a76681d8 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/503be26ff888cb3576e55d251895d290e8146f27 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67374e3a00814dcdd46e9feca61f69f7f2d81957 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7690a86b193271322cd31ab77349a87aa10858e4 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97b5e8b22b98e287481a97a9a4cfebbb348738a5 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be0f7745f883386e5263b4e475686a81dfa87175 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fc530fe168bb2b745a93f553ad21fc25fd9cba3d

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel

MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published: 2026-09-16T10:33:33.197Z

Updated: 2026-09-16T14:41:46.318Z

Reserved: 2026-09-11T19:38:34.782Z

Link: CVE-2026-90032

Vulnrichment

No data.

NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-16T11:17:16.310

Modified: 2026-09-16T15:18:26.280

Link: CVE-2026-90032

Redhat

No data.

OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-09-18T07:00:06Z

Weaknesses

CWE-416
Use After Free

Impact

Affected Systems

Risk and Exploitability

Tracking

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact High

Integrity Impact High

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

Subscriptions

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