CVE-2026-90781
Received Received - Intake

Stack Buffer Overflow in ALSA-lib via Control-Element Identifier Parsing

Publication date: 2026-09-13

Last updated on: 2026-09-13

Assigner: VulnCheck

Description
alsa-lib through 1.2.16.1 contains a stack buffer overflow in the __snd_ctl_ascii_elem_id_parse() function that writes one byte past a 64-byte buffer when parsing a name= field with 64 or more characters. Attackers can supply a long control-element identifier string through saved state files or command-line arguments to overwrite adjacent stack memory and crash the calling process.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-13
Last Modified
2026-09-13
Generated
2026-09-13
AI Q&A
2026-09-13
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-90781
EUVD
EUVD-2026-77008

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 2 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
alsa_project alsa_lib 1.2.16.1
alsa_project alsa_lib to 1.2.16.1 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-193 A product calculates or uses an incorrect maximum or minimum value that is 1 more, or 1 less, than the correct value.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

CVE-2026-90781 is a stack buffer overflow in alsa-lib through version 1.2.16.1. The vulnerability occurs in the __snd_ctl_ascii_elem_id_parse() function when parsing a name= field with 64 or more characters. The function writes one byte past a 64-byte buffer, corrupting adjacent stack memory. Attackers can trigger this by supplying a long control-element identifier string via saved state files or command-line arguments, causing the process to crash.

Detection Guidance

Check alsa-lib version with 'aplay --version' or 'cat /usr/share/doc/alsa-lib/changelog.Debian.gz'. If version is <=1.2.16.1, the system is vulnerable. Monitor for crashes in ALSA-related processes or unusual behavior when parsing control element identifiers.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow attackers to crash applications using alsa-lib, potentially leading to denial-of-service conditions. If exploited, it may cause memory corruption, instability, or unexpected behavior in audio-related software. The impact is limited to local systems since the attack requires access to saved state files or command-line arguments.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a local stack buffer overflow in alsa-lib that could lead to process crashes but does not involve unauthorized data access, processing, or disclosure required by these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Update alsa-lib to the latest patched version immediately. Avoid using untrusted saved state files or command-line arguments for ALSA control elements. Restrict access to ALSA configuration files to prevent malicious input.

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