Local privilege escalation via AICA cleanup race
Published Apr 1, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel AICA ALSA driver allows local users to gain kernel privileges through PCM playback and close operations. During snd_aicapcm_pcm_close(), del_timer() fails to wait for a running timer, which can reschedule spu_dma_work after aica_channel is freed. Access to the Dreamcast AICA PCM device is required; winning the close-time race permits kernel-memory disclosure or modification and can panic the system.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel AICA ALSA driver allows local users to gain kernel privileges through PCM playback and close operations. During snd_aicapcm_pcm_close(), del_timer() fails to wait for a running timer, which can reschedule spu_dma_work after aica_channel is freed. Access to the Dreamcast AICA PCM device is required; winning the close-time race permits kernel-memory disclosure or modification and can panic the system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-26654
- Published
- Apr 1, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 1, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <051e0840ffa8ab25554d6b14b62c9ab9e4901457
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <3c907bf56905de7d27b329afaf59c2fb35d17b04
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <4206ad65a0ee76920041a755bd3c17c6ba59bba2
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <61d4787692c1fccdc268ffa7a891f9c149f50901
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <8c990221681688da34295d6d76cc2f5b963e83f5
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <9d66ae0e7bb78b54e1e0525456c6b54e1d132046
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <aa39e6878f61f50892ee2dd9d2176f72020be845
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <e955e8a7f38a856fc6534ba4e6bffd4d5cc80ac3
- Affected versionversion=198de43d758ca2700e2b52b49c0b189b4931466c <eeb2a2ca0b8de7e1c66afaf719529154e7dc60b2
- Affected versionversion=2.6.23
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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