CVE-2026-43436
Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete
USB-audio Driver NULL Dereference in Scarlett2 Mixer

Publication date: 2026-05-08

Last updated on: 2026-05-21

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: usb-audio: Check endpoint numbers at parsing Scarlett2 mixer interfaces The Scarlett2 mixer quirk in USB-audio driver may hit a NULL dereference when a malformed USB descriptor is passed, since it assumes the presence of an endpoint in the parsed interface in scarlett2_find_fc_interface(), as reported by fuzzer. For avoiding the NULL dereference, just add the sanity check of bNumEndpoints and skip the invalid interface.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-08
Last Modified
2026-05-21
Generated
2026-06-19
AI Q&A
2026-05-08
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-18
NVD
CVE-2026-43436
EUVD
EUVD-2026-28742
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 8 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.130 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.19 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.78 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.9 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.14 (inc) to 6.1.167 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-476 The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
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Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability is caused by a NULL dereference in the USB-audio driver when parsing malformed USB descriptors for Scarlett2 mixer interfaces.

To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure your Linux kernel is updated to a version where the ALSA usb-audio driver includes the fix that adds a sanity check for the number of endpoints (bNumEndpoints) and skips invalid interfaces.

Compliance Impact

The provided information does not specify any impact of this vulnerability on compliance with common standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's USB audio driver, specifically in the Scarlett2 mixer quirk. The issue occurs because the driver assumes that a USB interface has an endpoint without properly checking. If a malformed USB descriptor is passed, this assumption can lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing a potential crash or instability.

The problem arises in the function scarlett2_find_fc_interface(), where the code does not verify the number of endpoints (bNumEndpoints) before accessing them. The fix involves adding a sanity check for bNumEndpoints and skipping any invalid interfaces to prevent the NULL dereference.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel's USB audio driver to dereference a NULL pointer when handling malformed USB descriptors. This may lead to system crashes, kernel panics, or instability when connecting or using affected USB audio devices, potentially disrupting normal system operation.

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