ALSA usx2y: NULL address vulnerability in Kernel

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

03/08/2021

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2021-1001338: ALSA: usx2y: Don't call free_pages_exact() with NULL address. Affects Kernel versions < 88262229b778f4f7a896da828d966f94dcb35d19. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) is a software framework and part of the Linux Kernel that provides an API for sound card drivers. It enables sound card functionality, including recording and playback, on Linux systems. The usx2y driver is a specific driver within ALSA that supports USB sound devices based on the Tascam USX2Y chipset.

The vulnerability in the usx2y driver involves calling the free_pages_exact() function with a NULL address. This can lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing a kernel crash or potential privilege escalation. The vulnerability was discovered in the Linux Kernel and affects versions prior to v5.4.134.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability arises from a code issue in the usx2y driver, where the free_pages_exact() function is called with a NULL address. This can occur when certain conditions are met during the execution of the driver. An attacker with local access to the system may be able to exploit this vulnerability to crash the kernel or potentially gain elevated privileges.

It is important to note that the impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven yet.

How To Fix

No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.

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Workaround

There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability. However, users can mitigate the risk by ensuring they have the latest Linux Kernel version installed, which includes the fix for this vulnerability.

Conclusion

The ALSA usx2y NULL address vulnerability in the Linux Kernel can potentially lead to a kernel crash or privilege escalation. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.4.134 or a later version that includes the fix. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →