ALSA: oss: Fix PCM OSS buffer allocation overflow

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

24/04/2022

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2022-1002378: ALSA: oss: Fix PCM OSS buffer allocation overflow. Affects Kernel versions < a63af1baf0a5e11827db60e3127f87e437cab6e5. 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 device drivers. It enables audio and MIDI functionality on Linux-based systems. The PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) OSS (Open Sound System) is a component of ALSA that provides compatibility with older applications that use the OSS API for audio playback and recording.

The vulnerability identified in the PCM OSS buffer allocation can lead to an overflow. This vulnerability allows an attacker to potentially execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service by exploiting the buffer overflow. The impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven yet.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in the PCM OSS buffer allocation occurs due to improper handling of buffer sizes. When allocating memory for PCM OSS buffers, the code does not properly validate the requested buffer size, leading to an overflow condition. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending specially crafted requests to the affected system, potentially causing a buffer overflow and executing arbitrary code or causing a denial of service.

This vulnerability has been fixed in the Linux Kernel version v4.19.237 by commit a63af1baf0a5e11827db60e3127f87e437cab6e5.

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 v4.19.237 or later. This can be done by downloading the updated kernel source code from the official Linux Kernel repository (https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/) and compiling it for the target system. Alternatively, users can wait for their Linux distribution to release an updated package that includes the fix.

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Conclusion

The vulnerability in the PCM OSS buffer allocation can lead to a buffer overflow, potentially allowing an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service. It is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v4.19.237 or later to fix this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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