CVE-2026-74503

What the bug is

snd_timer_close_locked() marks an instance with SNDRV_TIMER_IFLG_DEAD and returns early when the flag is already set, but the flag is never cleared again. A completed close ends in remove_slave_links(), which leaves timeri->timer NULL, so a second close is already harmless through the timer == NULL path; the early return can only be reached by an instance that was opened again in between. For such an instance the close unlinks nothing, so snd_timer_instance_free() frees an object that is still on timer->open_list_head, still on snd_timer_master_list if it was opened with a slave key, still owns any adopted slaves, and still holds its timer and module references. snd_seq_timer_open() reopens an instance exactly like that: it retries its fallback open on the same object after a failure that has already run snd_timer_close_locked() internally. An unprivileged user with access to /dev/snd/timer and /dev/snd/seq can force that failure, since snd_timer_check_master() returns -EBUSY when a pending slave matches the new master's (slave_class, slave_id) key and the target timer has reached max_instances, and SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_SELECT with dev_class = SNDRV_TIMER_CLASS_SLAVE keeps the caller-supplied dev_sclass, so a sequencer queue's key can be forged. The freed instance is afterwards dereferenced by any further snd_timer_open() on that timer, by snd_timer_check_slave(), and by /proc/asound/timers, which faults on the stale ti->owner pointer. The flag only has to be visible while the close is in progress, which is all its other users need. Clear it in remove_slave_links(), under the same timer->lock that sets it, once the instance is off every list.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

sound/core/timer.c

What this is

SOUNDMAINTAINERS section matched on sound/ · linux-sound@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Kernel module

snd_timer

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_SND|CONFIG_SND_TIMER' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

lsmod | grep -w snd_timer

Prints a line if that module is loaded right now, and nothing if it is not. One that is not loaded can still be loaded later by anything that needs it.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this, but not on every flavour. At least one release below builds the code on some of its kernel flavours and not on others, so the answer depends on the architecture and flavour installed.

• bookworm, trixie, forky, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12Mnot built on amd64/cloud-amd64, arm64/cloud-arm64

M

a module where it is built at all; some flavours do not build it

Build switches

CONFIG_SND, CONFIG_SND_TIMER

Reads as

all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-08-15 (2 months ago)source

CVSS

7.8 high
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:Hsource recompute it

Attack vector

local (AV:L)source

EPSS

0.18%, higher than 6.6% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

unimportantsource

Subsystem

sound/core

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
6.12.94	6.12.103	bb016091010e
6.18.36	6.18.44	a26a2e52736f
7.1	7.1.8	0c561fab5099
7.1	7.2	c2744d5f3aea
7.0.13	0	0

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