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-2021-1002595: ALSA: pcm: oss: Fix negative period/buffer sizes. Affects Kernel versions < 00a860678098fcd9fa8db2b5fb9d2ddf4776d4cc. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The Kernel is a fundamental component of the Linux operating system that provides essential services and interfaces 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 functionality in Linux. The PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) subsystem within ALSA handles audio data streams. The OSS (Open Sound System) compatibility layer in ALSA allows applications that were designed for the older OSS API to work with ALSA. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the PCM OSS module that can lead to negative period/buffer sizes.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in the ALSA PCM OSS module allows for negative period/buffer sizes. This can result in various issues, including memory corruption, buffer overflows, and potential privilege escalation. An attacker may be able to exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code or crash the system. The vulnerability has been fixed in Linux Kernel version v5.15.8 by commit 00a860678098fcd9fa8db2b5fb9d2ddf4776d4cc.

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.

Conclusion

The ALSA PCM OSS module in the Linux Kernel is vulnerable to negative period/buffer sizes. This can result in memory corruption, buffer overflows, and potential privilege escalation. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.15.8 or later to mitigate this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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