CVE-2026-98116
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) sound subsystem. A race condition between concurrent memory mapping operations and audio buffer reallocations allows memory pages to be released while still mapped as writable. A local user can exploit this vulnerability to trigger a use-after-free condition, potentially resulting in local privilege escalation or a denial of service.
Mitigation
To mitigate this vulnerability on systems where audio capabilities are not required, disable the ALSA PCM kernel module (`snd-pcm`).
1. Prevent the module from loading by creating a modprobe configuration file:
# echo "install snd-pcm /bin/true" > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-snd-pcm.conf
2. If the module is currently loaded, unload it:
# modprobe -r snd-pcm
Caveats:
Disabling this module prevents audio hardware, playback, and recording from operating.
Warning: Unloading the module will interrupt active audio processes. If the module is currently in use and cannot be unloaded, a system restart is required for the configuration to take effect.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7.8 | N/A | 7.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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