CVE-2026-43437
Published: May 8, 2026· Updated: May 12, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ALSA: pcm: fix use-after-free on linked stream runtime in snd_pcm_drain()
In the drain loop, the local variable 'runtime' is reassigned to a
linked stream's runtime (runtime = s->runtime at line 2157). After
releasing the stream lock at line 2169, the code accesses
runtime->no_period_wakeup, runtime->rate, and runtime->buffer_size
(lines 2170-2178) — all referencing the linked stream's runtime without
any lock or refcount protecting its lifetime.
A concurrent close() on the linked stream's fd triggers
snd_pcm_release_substream() → snd_pcm_drop() → pcm_release_private()
→ snd_pcm_unlink() → snd_pcm_detach_substream() → kfree(runtime).
No synchronization prevents kfree(runtime) from completing while the
drain path dereferences the stale pointer.
Fix by caching the needed runtime fields (no_period_wakeup, rate,
buffer_size) into local variables while still holding the stream lock,
and using the cached values after the lock is released.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-43437 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.8.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (7)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-43437 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts