CVE-2018-7566: Buffer Overflow

Published Feb 28, 2018
·
Updated

ALSA sequencer core initializes the event pool on demand by invoking sndseqpoolinit() when the first write happens and the pool is empty. A user can reset the pool size manually via ioctl concurrently, and this may lead to UAF or out-of-bound access.

References:

http://mailman.alsa-project.org/pipermail/alsa-devel/2018-February/132026.html

https://marc.info/?l=alsa-devel&m=151859118611846&w=2

An upstream fix:

https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d15d662e89fc667b90cd294b0eb45694e33144da

Other sources

The Linux kernel 4.15 has a Buffer Overflow via an SNDRVSEQIOCTLSETCLIENTPOOL ioctl write operation to /dev/snd/seq by a local user.

Launchpad

Affected Software

22 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel=4.15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Module For Public Cloud=12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server=12
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=12.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=14.04
Canonical Ubuntu Linux=16.04
Debian Debian Linux=7.0
Debian Debian Linux=8.0
Debian Debian Linux=9.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Desktop=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server=7.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Aus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus=7.5
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Eus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Server Tus=7.6
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=6.0
redhat Enterprise Linux Workstation=7.0
Oracle Communications EAGLE Application Processor=16.1.0
Oracle Communications EAGLE Application Processor=16.2.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.262-16.1.176-16.1.180-16.12.94-16.12.101-17.1.7-17.1.8-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 5.10.223-1Fixed in 5.10.262-1Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.180-1Fixed in 6.12.94-1Fixed in 6.12.101-1Fixed in 7.1.7-1Fixed in 7.1.8-1

Event History

Feb 28, 2018
Data Sourced
via Red Hat·03:53 PM
DescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Mar 30, 2018
CVE Published
via MITRE·09:00 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·09:00 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·09:29 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software
Jan 11, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·11:10 PM
Description
Jul 4, 2026
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:15 AM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
Aug 12, 2026
Data Sourced
via Debian·12:27 PM
DescriptionAffected Software
Free Weekly Intel

Don't miss critical vulnerabilities

Join thousands of security professionals who receive our weekly digest of trending CVEs, zero-days, and exploited vulnerabilities.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is CVE-2018-7566?

CVE-2018-7566 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel 4.15 that allows a local user to trigger a buffer overflow via a write operation to /dev/snd/seq using the SNDRV_SEQ_IOCTL_SET_CLIENT_POOL ioctl.

2

How severe is CVE-2018-7566?

CVE-2018-7566 has a severity level of medium.

3

Which versions of Linux are affected by CVE-2018-7566?

CVE-2018-7566 affects Linux kernel versions 4.15, 4.16, and 4.4.0-1022.22, among others.

4

How can I fix CVE-2018-7566?

To fix CVE-2018-7566, it is recommended to update to Linux kernel version 4.16 or later.

5

Where can I find more information about CVE-2018-7566?

You can find more information about CVE-2018-7566 in the references provided: http://mailman.alsa-project.org/pipermail/alsa-devel/2018-February/132026.html, https://marc.info/?l=alsa-devel&m=151859118611846&w=2, https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d15d662e89fc667b90cd294b0eb45694e33144da.

Contact

SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
132 Wickham Terrace
Fortitude Valley,
QLD 4006, Australia
info@secalerts.co
By using SecAlerts services, you agree to our services end-user license agreement. This website is safeguarded by reCAPTCHA and governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. All names, logos, and brands of products are owned by their respective owners, and any usage of these names, logos, and brands for identification purposes only does not imply endorsement. If you possess any content that requires removal, please get in touch with us.
© 2026 SecAlerts Pty Ltd.
ABN: 70 645 966 203, ACN: 645 966 203