CVE-2025-40269

Kernel memory corruption via oversized PCM packets

Published Dec 6, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026

Buffer overflow in the Linux ALSA USB-audio driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through crafted PCM parameters and playback. The endpoint setup derives URB packet sizes from the stream rate and packets per second without rejecting values above the descriptor-derived maxpacksize. Access to an ALSA PCM device backed by a USB audio endpoint is required; an oversized transfer can disclose or overwrite adjacent kernel memory or crash the host.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.18%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Buffer overflow in the Linux ALSA USB-audio driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through crafted PCM parameters and playback. The endpoint setup derives URB packet sizes from the stream rate and packets per second without rejecting values above the descriptor-derived maxpacksize. Access to an ALSA PCM device backed by a USB audio endpoint is required; an oversized transfer can disclose or overwrite adjacent kernel memory or crash the host.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-40269
Published
Dec 6, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 6, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 5, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=02c56650f3c118d3752122996d96173d26bb13aa <480a1490c595a242f27493a4544b3efb21b29f6a
  2. Affected versionversion=2d50acd7dbd0682a56968ad9551341d7fc5b6eaf <c4dc012b027c9eb101583011089dea14d744e314
  3. Affected versionversion=4.14.186 <4.14.188
  4. Affected versionversion=4.19.130 <4.19.132
  5. Affected versionversion=4.4.229 <4.4.230
  6. Affected versionversion=4.9.229 <4.9.230
  7. Affected versionversion=5.4.49 <5.4.51
  8. Affected versionversion=5.7.6 <5.7.8
  9. Affected versionversion=5.8
  10. Affected versionversion=5ef30e443e6d3654cccecec99cf481a69a0a6d3b <ab0b5e92fc36ee82c1bd01fe896d0f775ed5de41
  11. Affected versionversion=99703c921864a318e3e8aae74fde071b1ff35bea <282aba56713bbc58155716b55ca7222b2d9cf3c8
  12. Affected versionversion=aba41867dd66939d336fdf604e4d73b805d8039f <e0ed5a36fb3ab9e7b9ee45cd17f09f6d5f594360
  13. Affected versionversion=d288dc74f8cf95cb7ae0aaf245b7128627a49bf3 <d67dde02049e632ba58d3c44a164a74b6a737154
  14. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <05a1fc5efdd8560f34a3af39c9cf1e1526cc3ddf
  15. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <217d47255a2ec8b246f2725f5db9ac3f1d4109d7
  16. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <6a5da3fa80affc948923f20a4e086177f505e86e
  17. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <98e9d5e33bda8db875cc1a4fe99c192658e45ab6
  18. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <d2c04f20ccc6c0d219e6d3038bab45bc66a178ad
  19. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <ece3b981bb6620e47fac826a2156c090b1a936a0
  20. Affected versionversion=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <ef592bf2232a2daa9fffa8881881fc9957ea56e9

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=02c56650f3c118d3752122996d96173d26bb13aa <480a1490c595a242f27493a4544b3efb21b29f6a; version=2d50acd7dbd0682a56968ad9551341d7fc5b6eaf <c4dc012b027c9eb101583011089dea14d744e314; version=4.14.186 <4.14.188; version=4.19.130 <4.19.132; version=4.4.229 <4.4.230; version=4.9.229 <4.9.230; version=5.4.49 <5.4.51; version=5.7.6 <5.7.8; version=5.8; version=5ef30e443e6d3654cccecec99cf481a69a0a6d3b <ab0b5e92fc36ee82c1bd01fe896d0f775ed5de41; version=99703c921864a318e3e8aae74fde071b1ff35bea <282aba56713bbc58155716b55ca7222b2d9cf3c8; version=aba41867dd66939d336fdf604e4d73b805d8039f <e0ed5a36fb3ab9e7b9ee45cd17f09f6d5f594360; version=d288dc74f8cf95cb7ae0aaf245b7128627a49bf3 <d67dde02049e632ba58d3c44a164a74b6a737154; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <05a1fc5efdd8560f34a3af39c9cf1e1526cc3ddf; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <217d47255a2ec8b246f2725f5db9ac3f1d4109d7; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <6a5da3fa80affc948923f20a4e086177f505e86e; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <98e9d5e33bda8db875cc1a4fe99c192658e45ab6; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <d2c04f20ccc6c0d219e6d3038bab45bc66a178ad; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <ece3b981bb6620e47fac826a2156c090b1a936a0; version=f0bd62b64016508938df9babe47f65c2c727d25c <ef592bf2232a2daa9fffa8881881fc9957ea56e9

Published CVSS scores

7.0Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
7.8Linux kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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