Local denial of service via unchecked configuration ioctl
Published Aug 12, 2026 · Updated Aug 12, 2026
Missing authorization in NetBSD 11 and earlier allows local users to reconfigure the hdaudio(4) driver and interrupt audio service. HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG accepts a read-only /dev/hdaudioN descriptor without an authorization check, letting repeated detach operations race a live DMA interrupt into dereferencing a freed callback in hdafg_detach(). The attack requires local unprivileged access, an attached HDAudio device, and a live audio stream; the public PoC demonstrates device detachment, while kernel panic and privilege escalation are not demonstrated.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in NetBSD 11 and earlier allows local users to reconfigure the hdaudio(4) driver and interrupt audio service. HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG accepts a read-only /dev/hdaudioN descriptor without an authorization check, letting repeated detach operations race a live DMA interrupt into dereferencing a freed callback in hdafg_detach(). The attack requires local unprivileged access, an attached HDAudio device, and a live audio stream; the public PoC demonstrates device detachment, while kernel panic and privilege escalation are not demonstrated.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-53996
- Published
- Aug 12, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 12, 2026
- Vendor
- The NetBSD Foundation
- Product
- NetBSD
- Classifications
- CWE-862, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 12, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 12, 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=0 <=11
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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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