Kernel memory corruption via oversized UMP SysEx conversion
Published May 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Buffer overflow in the ALSA UMP converter in Linux allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a long UMP SysEx message. The MIDI 1.0-to-UMP conversion state allocates four bytes for incoming data, but do_convert_to_ump() copies SysEx payloads of up to six bytes into it. The required gate is low-privileged local access to a UMP-capable ALSA MIDI path; resulting corruption compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Summary
What happened
Buffer overflow in the ALSA UMP converter in Linux allows local users to corrupt kernel memory via a long UMP SysEx message. The MIDI 1.0-to-UMP conversion state allocates four bytes for incoming data, but do_convert_to_ump() copies SysEx payloads of up to six bytes into it. The required gate is low-privileged local access to a UMP-capable ALSA MIDI path; resulting corruption compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-37891
- Published
- May 19, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-120, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=0b5288f5fe63eab687c14e5940b9e0d532b129f2 <226beac5605afbb33f8782148d188b64396145a4
- Affected versionversion=0b5288f5fe63eab687c14e5940b9e0d532b129f2 <42ef48dd4ebb082a1a90b5c3feeda2e68a9e32fe
- Affected versionversion=0b5288f5fe63eab687c14e5940b9e0d532b129f2 <56f1f30e6795b890463d9b20b11e576adf5a2f77
- Affected versionversion=0b5288f5fe63eab687c14e5940b9e0d532b129f2 <ce4f77bef276e7d2eb7ab03a5d08bcbaa40710ec
- Affected versionversion=6.5
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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