Kernel crash via usbtv ALSA use-after-free
Published Sep 16, 2026 · Updated Sep 16, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel usbtv driver allows local users to crash the kernel by closing PCM audio after USB disconnect. An open ALSA PCM file outlives disconnection while the V4L2 reference is dropped, so snd_usbtv_pcm_close dereferences the freed usbtv structure. Exploitation requires local access to an open usbtv audio stream and disconnection of the associated USB capture device; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel usbtv driver allows local users to crash the kernel by closing PCM audio after USB disconnect. An open ALSA PCM file outlives disconnection while the V4L2 reference is dropped, so snd_usbtv_pcm_close dereferences the freed usbtv structure. Exploitation requires local access to an open usbtv audio stream and disconnection of the associated USB capture device; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-90032
- Published
- Sep 16, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 16, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 16, 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=3.18
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <1618257cb0aba4ce342ae8c0228368c24161f5fb
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <239d1683e08b2aee2a15ef35706e1ea9a76681d8
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <503be26ff888cb3576e55d251895d290e8146f27
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <67374e3a00814dcdd46e9feca61f69f7f2d81957
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <7690a86b193271322cd31ab77349a87aa10858e4
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <97b5e8b22b98e287481a97a9a4cfebbb348738a5
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <be0f7745f883386e5263b4e475686a81dfa87175
- Affected versionversion=63ddf68de52efaac40a9287e44266ac30e71dd36 <fc530fe168bb2b745a93f553ad21fc25fd9cba3d
What conditions does exploitation require?
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
Your stack
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Your stack
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