CVE-2026-72446

Received Received - Intake

Kernel Oops in Linux ALSA USB Audio Driver

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: usb-audio: qcom: reject stream disable with no active interface handle_uaudio_stream_req() resolves an interface index with info_idx_from_ifnum(), which returns -EINVAL when no interface matches. The enable branch and the response: cleanup label both guard against a negative index, but the disable branch does not: it forms info = &uadev[pcm_card_num].info[info_idx] and dereferences it. uadev[].info is a pointer allocated only when a stream is first enabled, so a negative info_idx on the disable path is unsafe in two ways: - If the card was never enabled, .info is NULL and &info[-EINVAL] is a wild pointer; reading info->data_ep_pipe faults (kernel oops). - If the card was enabled at least once (.info allocated) and the disable names an interface that does not match, &info[-EINVAL] points before the allocation; info->data_ep_pipe / info->sync_ep_pipe are an out-of-bounds slab read and, when non-zero, an out-of-bounds 4-byte write (both pipe fields are cleared to 0). That is memory corruption, not just a NULL dereference. The request is reachable from unprivileged local userspace over AF_QIPCRTR. Reject a disable request with no resolved interface, matching the guard the enable path already has.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72446

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59345

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a flaw in the ALSA USB audio driver for Qualcomm devices. When handling a stream disable request, the code fails to validate if the interface exists, leading to potential memory corruption or kernel oops. The issue arises because the disable path does not check for invalid interface indices, unlike the enable path.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's ALSA USB audio driver for Qualcomm devices. Detection requires checking kernel logs for oops or memory corruption events related to USB audio handling. Monitor dmesg for errors like 'NULL pointer dereference' or 'out-of-bounds slab read' in the ALSA subsystem.

Impact Analysis

An unprivileged local user could exploit this flaw to cause a kernel crash (oops) or memory corruption by sending a malformed stream disable request. This could lead to system instability, denial of service, or potential privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a kernel-level memory corruption issue in the Linux ALSA USB audio subsystem that could lead to system instability or crashes if exploited. Compliance impacts would only occur if exploitation resulted in unauthorized data access or system compromise, which is not specified in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel update that includes the fix for this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not possible, disable the affected Qualcomm USB audio driver module (snd_usb_audio) or restrict access to AF_QIPCRTR sockets to prevent unprivileged local exploitation.

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