Kernel memory corruption via stale timer pointers
Published Jun 25, 2026 · Updated Jun 25, 2026
Use-after-free in the ALSA timer subsystem in Linux Kernel allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through timer device ioctls. When snd_timer_free() frees an snd_timer, it unlinks a master instance but leaves associated slave instances pointing to the released object. A local user able to open /dev/snd/timer and issue ALSA timer ioctls can dereference the stale pointer, exposing or corrupting kernel memory or causing an oops, panic, or hang.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the ALSA timer subsystem in Linux Kernel allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through timer device ioctls. When snd_timer_free() frees an snd_timer, it unlinks a master instance but leaves associated slave instances pointing to the released object. A local user able to open /dev/snd/timer and issue ALSA timer ioctls can dereference the stale pointer, exposing or corrupting kernel memory or causing an oops, panic, or hang.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53193
- Published
- Jun 25, 2026
- Updated
- Jun 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 25, 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=37745918e0e7575bc40f38da93a99b9fa6406224 <586b219a22b1032b28b8bd356b963276c5e5bf53
- Affected versionversion=37745918e0e7575bc40f38da93a99b9fa6406224 <60e73ab87b84bbd6bd7ddd1d16019a3a3705ab8f
- Affected versionversion=37745918e0e7575bc40f38da93a99b9fa6406224 <da3039e91d1f835874ed6e9a33ea19ee80c2cb92
- Affected versionversion=37745918e0e7575bc40f38da93a99b9fa6406224 <f46093dd22969037beb1fce2e043f3236be41c92
- Affected versionversion=6.12
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
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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