UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98837: Use After Free
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: caiaq: unregister the input device when probe fails setupcard() registers the input device, whose name and phys point into struct sndusbcaiaqdev, and then goes on to sndcardregister() and sndusbcaiaqcontrolinit(). If either fails, sndprobe() calls sndcardfree(), which frees the device state but leaves the input device registered: cardfree() only clears the pointer, and the input device is unregistered from snddisconnect() alone. Reading its "uevent" attribute afterwards dereferences freed memory: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in string+0x4a9/0x4f0 Read of size 1 at addr ffff8880208f5043 by task caiaq/4967 addueventvar+0x183/0x3a0 inputdevuevent+0x162/0x900 devuevent+0x2f1/0x870 ueventshow+0x1ca/0x3a0 ... Unregister the input device on the probe error path, as snddisconnect() does. sndusbcaiaqinputdisconnect() is a no-op when no input device was registered. Reproduced with a raw-gadget Audio Kontrol 1 and a temporary hack that makes sndusbcaiaqcontrolinit() fail.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.78~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149~22.04.2 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65~22.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.77 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1053.57 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.72 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1~24.04.2 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-vmwareto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1010.10 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.41 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-2056.58 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81+fips1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1020.21 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1010.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1 - Compensating control
Unregister the ALSA caiaq input device on the probe error path, as snd_disconnect() does, after setup_card() has registered it; snd_usb_caiaq_input_disconnect() is safe when no input device was registered.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systems are exposed to this issue?
Systems running one of the listed Ubuntu kernel packages are exposed when using the ALSA CAIAQ USB audio driver with a compatible device. The vulnerable path is reached only when device probing proceeds far enough to register an input device and then a later setup step fails.
What does an attacker need to trigger the flaw?
The attack vector is local and requires low privileges, but exploitation has high complexity and depends on a partially failed CAIAQ device probe. The issue was reproduced using a raw-gadget emulation of an Audio Kontrol 1 while forcing CAIAQ control initialization to fail.
How could this condition be observed?
After the relevant probe failure, an input device can remain registered even though its backing CAIAQ device state has been freed. Reading that input device's "uevent" attribute can dereference freed memory and trigger a use-after-free report.