CVE-2026-98837: Linux Vulnerability

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: caiaq: unregister the input device when probe fails setup_card() registers the input device, whose name and phys point into struct snd_usb_caiaqdev, and then goes on to snd_card_register() and snd_usb_caiaq_control_init(). If either fails, snd_probe() calls snd_card_free(), which frees the device state but leaves the input device registered: card_free() only clears the pointer, and the input device is unregistered from snd_disconnect() 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 add_uevent_var+0x183/0x3a0 input_dev_uevent+0x162/0x900 dev_uevent+0x2f1/0x870 uevent_show+0x1ca/0x3a0 ... Unregister the input device on the probe error path, as snd_disconnect() does. snd_usb_caiaq_input_disconnect() is a no-op when no input device was registered. Reproduced with a raw-gadget Audio Kontrol 1 and a temporary hack that makes snd_usb_caiaq_control_init() fail.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.20%

9.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= da938aa9fc7826901921dcea225948ab21a97e45, < 7017c9dda1ebbab428a6fd29c841596b5c9c84d1; >= 09616e25f502080ba684fc7fcf959d1376ab756d, < 8315ea07ebb2497531ff42dd640396f6f1d4a8f0; >= b956e48371f2ff72b76be9a829800ecec963bd45, < 1d5d194594ff616ad36a052bde739d1cf5855b95; >= f537e3ad69609f6924a4db6b4a7f6561f5288bdd, < df2787819bd137111b56b8631dd581b0cce7144d; >= 6251e3e256337a30160ef59ab1580dde4d1acd28, < 850810c12686f80cdf7530f4f21e0157d904f739; >= e59ecd4ee3a450db6cb4e4ecaa3efdd593f80056, < 84727facd8506140cd04f2b0a8b1c4ddeac41cea; >= 28abd224db4a49560b452115bca3672a20e45b2f, < 2e5a413cc2a489c9427ecd3d73ad764bfb0c7103; >= 28abd224db4a49560b452115bca3672a20e45b2f, < 0b7bd20f6379bc5e431fd74d866390f5b5b63f3c; 096dd8519cf2f768e9e14f224b627f7aaee1a9c5; >= 5.10.258, < 5.10.273; >= 5.15.209, < 5.15.224; >= 6.1.175, < 6.1.191; >= 6.6.140, < 6.6.160; >= 6.12.86, < 6.12.113; >= 6.18.27, < 6.18.56; >= 7.0.4, < 7.1
Linux	Linux	7.1

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 18, 2026
Last Modified: Oct 30, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98837?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: caiaq: unregister the input device when probe fails setup_card() registers the input device, whose name and phys point into struct snd_usb_caiaqdev, and then goes on to snd_card_register() and snd_usb_caiaq_control_init(). If either fails, snd_probe() calls snd_card_free(), which frees the device state but leaves the input device registered: card_free() only clears the pointer, and the input device is unregistered from snd_disconnect() 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 add_uevent_var+0x183/0x3a0 input_dev_uevent+0x162/0x900 dev_uevent+0x2f1/0x870 uevent_show+0x1ca/0x3a0 ... Unregister the input device on the probe error path, as snd_disconnect() does. snd_usb_caiaq_input_disconnect() is a no-op when no input device was registered. Reproduced with a raw-gadget Audio Kontrol 1 and a temporary hack that makes snd_usb_caiaq_control_init() fail.

How severe is CVE-2026-98837?

Severity scoring for CVE-2026-98837 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-98837?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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