ALSA: pcm: oss: Fix negative period/buffer sizes in Kernel

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

19/12/2021

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2021-1002406: ALSA: pcm: oss: Fix negative period/buffer sizes. Affects Kernel versions < 8af815ab052eaf74addbbfb556d63ce2137c0e1b. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

Free scan

Check if this vulnerability affects your application

Upload a manifest or SBOM and we'll show whether you're affected, plus every other risky package in the same scan.

Check my app free

No signup required · Results in about 60 seconds

Upload your dependency manifest or SBOM

Drag & drop your file here or Browse

Java Javascript PHP Python Go Rust Ruby Dart C/C++ Elixir CycloneDX SPDX

Upload a supported dependency manifest or SBOM. No installation or source-code access required.

See supported files and SBOM formats

SBOM sbom.json · bom.json · bom.xml · *.spdx.json · *.cdx.json · *.cdx.xml

Java pom.xml · gradle.lockfile · buildscript-gradle.lockfile

Javascript package-lock.json · yarn.lock · pnpm-lock.yaml

PHP composer.lock

Python poetry.lock · requirements.txt · Pipfile.lock

Go go.mod

Rust Cargo.lock

Ruby Gemfile.lock

Dart pubspec.lock

C/C++ conan.lock

Elixir mix.lock

Enter your work email to receive your report link.

Verify your email to view the full report and start 30 days of continuous monitoring. No credit card required.

Background

The Kernel is a critical component of the Linux operating system that provides core functionality and acts as an interface between hardware and software. It manages system resources, including memory, processes, and device drivers. The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) is a software framework that provides audio and MIDI functionality for Linux. The PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) subsystem in ALSA handles audio data streams. The OSS (Open Sound System) emulation layer in ALSA allows applications that use the legacy OSS API to work with ALSA.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in the ALSA pcm oss component allows for negative period/buffer sizes. This vulnerability could be exploited by an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition or potentially execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. By providing negative values for period or buffer sizes, an attacker can trigger a buffer overflow or underflow, leading to memory corruption or other unpredictable behavior. This could result in system crashes, data corruption, or privilege escalation.

How To Fix

No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.

To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v4.14.258 or later. The fix for this vulnerability was implemented in commit 8af815ab052eaf74addbbfb556d63ce2137c0e1b. Updating the Kernel to the patched version will ensure that negative period/buffer sizes are properly handled and prevent potential exploitation of this vulnerability.

Tip — Not sure whether your app is affected? Vulert can check the versions your app actually runs. Scan free →

Workaround

There is no known workaround for this vulnerability. It is essential to apply the patch or update the Kernel to the fixed version as soon as possible.

Conclusion

The ALSA pcm oss vulnerability allows for negative period/buffer sizes, which can lead to memory corruption and potential exploitation. It is crucial to update the Linux Kernel to version v4.14.258 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

See every vulnerability recorded for Kernel →