Kernel memory corruption via writable read mapping
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
Memory corruption in the Linux ALSA US-122L driver allows local users to access pages beyond a read-buffer allocation. The hwdep mmap callback leaves VM_MAYWRITE on a PROT_READ mapping, so mprotect() permits read_size to be overwritten and trusted by the fault and free paths. Exploitation requires O_RDWR access to the hwdep node and can expose or free pages outside the allocation, causing memory corruption or a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in the Linux ALSA US-122L driver allows local users to access pages beyond a read-buffer allocation. The hwdep mmap callback leaves VM_MAYWRITE on a PROT_READ mapping, so mprotect() permits read_size to be overwritten and trusted by the fault and free paths. Exploitation requires O_RDWR access to the hwdep node and can expose or free pages outside the allocation, causing memory corruption or a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-97931
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 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=030a07e441296c372f946cd4065b5d831d8dc40c <0eb9dd4774af0ac4d1fd105ef2b0a1f6cec06f2f
- Affected versionversion=030a07e441296c372f946cd4065b5d831d8dc40c <64a87950239867682cde128020e1a47088295e5c
- Affected versionversion=030a07e441296c372f946cd4065b5d831d8dc40c <71c610aeb1770302ac9c9e0b9a4ecd37f1311928
- Affected versionversion=030a07e441296c372f946cd4065b5d831d8dc40c <d9c537b14f4982f17b103e3a2cfeee4bee6bc026
- Affected versionversion=2.6.28
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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