System freeze via ALSA FireWire lock inversion
Published Aug 17, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Improper locking in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to freeze the system during ALSA use with an RME Fireface 800. Removing process-context workqueues from amdtp_domain_stream_pcm_pointer() and update_pcm_pointers() lets the status and period-elapse paths acquire the ALSA substream and tasklet locks in opposite orders. The condition requires local ALSA operation with the affected FireWire device; the resulting AB/BA deadlock leaves the system frozen.
Summary
What happened
Improper locking in affected Linux kernel releases allows local users to freeze the system during ALSA use with an RME Fireface 800. Removing process-context workqueues from amdtp_domain_stream_pcm_pointer() and update_pcm_pointers() lets the status and period-elapse paths acquire the ALSA substream and tasklet locks in opposite orders. The condition requires local ALSA operation with the affected FireWire device; the resulting AB/BA deadlock leaves the system frozen.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-42274
- Published
- Aug 17, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-667, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5.14
- Affected versionversion=7ba5ca32fe6e8d2e153fb5602997336517b34743 <36c255db5a25edd42d1aca48e38b8e95ee5fd9ef
- Affected versionversion=7ba5ca32fe6e8d2e153fb5602997336517b34743 <3dab73ab925a51ab05543b491bf17463a48ca323
- Affected versionversion=7ba5ca32fe6e8d2e153fb5602997336517b34743 <7c07220cf634002f93a87ca2252a32766850f2d1
- Affected versionversion=7ba5ca32fe6e8d2e153fb5602997336517b34743 <b239a37d68e8bc59f9516444da222841e3b13ba9
- Affected versionversion=7ba5ca32fe6e8d2e153fb5602997336517b34743 <f5043e69aeb2786f32e84132817a007a6430aa7d
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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