CVE-2025-71192

Local kernel memory corruption via duplicate adapter free

Published Feb 4, 2026 · Updated Feb 4, 2026

A double free in Linux Kernel ALSA AC'97 bus code in affected releases beginning with 4.15 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory. When ac97_add_adapter() fails, snd_ac97_controller_register() calls put_device(), whose release path frees the adapter, and then calls kfree() on the same allocation. The path requires local low-privileged access and an adapter-registration failure; Linux has not published how users induce that failure or a demonstrated result beyond kernel memory corruption.

CVSS severity7.0
High
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

A double free in Linux Kernel ALSA AC'97 bus code in affected releases beginning with 4.15 allows local users to corrupt kernel memory. When ac97_add_adapter() fails, snd_ac97_controller_register() calls put_device(), whose release path frees the adapter, and then calls kfree() on the same allocation. The path requires local low-privileged access and an adapter-registration failure; Linux has not published how users induce that failure or a demonstrated result beyond kernel memory corruption.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71192
Published
Feb 4, 2026
Updated
Feb 4, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
Unavailable
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 4, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 4, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.15
  2. Affected versionversion=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <21f8bc5179bed91c3f946adb5e55d717b891960c
  3. Affected versionversion=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <830988b6cf197e6dcffdfe2008c5738e6c6c3c0f
  4. Affected versionversion=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <c80f9b3349a99a9d5b295f5bbc23f544c5995ad7
  5. Affected versionversion=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <cb73d37ac18bc1716690ff5255a0ef1952827e9e
  6. Affected versionversion=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <fcc04c92cbb5497ce67c58dd2f0001bb87f40396

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.15; version=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <21f8bc5179bed91c3f946adb5e55d717b891960c; version=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <830988b6cf197e6dcffdfe2008c5738e6c6c3c0f; version=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <c80f9b3349a99a9d5b295f5bbc23f544c5995ad7; version=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <cb73d37ac18bc1716690ff5255a0ef1952827e9e; version=74426fbff66eea8e8d1f42c8238c268d1e63a832 <fcc04c92cbb5497ce67c58dd2f0001bb87f40396

Published CVSS scores

7.0kernel.orgCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

No sourced classifications are available.

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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