# CVE-2024-38605: ALSA: core: Fix NULL module pointer assignment at card init

> A race condition in the Linux kernel ALSA core allows code execution or denial of service when a sound driver module is removed while in use.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-38605, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-38605, GHSA-c4mh-cv6m-6477, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-38605

## What is CVE-2024-38605?

CVE-2024-38605 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ALSA: core: Fix NULL module pointer assignment at card init

The commit 81033c6b584b ("ALSA: core: Warn on empty module")
introduced a WARN_ON() for a NULL module pointer passed at snd_card
object creation, and it also wraps the code around it with '#ifdef
MODULE'.  This works in most cases, but the devils are always in
details.  "MODULE" is defined when the target code (i.e. the sound
core) is built as a module; but this doesn't mean that the caller is
also built-in or not.  Namely, when only the sound core is built-in
(CONFIG_SND=y) while the driver is a module (CONFIG_SND_USB_AUDIO=m),
the passed module pointer is ignored even if it's non-NULL, and
card->module remains as NULL.  This would result in the missing module
reference up/down at the device open/close, leading to a race with the
code execution after the module removal.

For addressing the bug, move the assignment of card->module again out
of ifdef.  The WARN_ON() is still wrapped with ifdef because the
module can be really NULL when all sound drivers are built-in.

Note that we keep 'ifdef MODULE' for WARN_ON(), otherwise it would
lead to a false-positive NULL module check.  Admittedly it won't catch
perfectly, i.e. no check is performed when CONFIG_SND=y.  But, it's no
real problem as it's only for debugging, and the condition is pretty
rare.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38605?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38605?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-38605 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38605 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-38605 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38605 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38605 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38605/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38605/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38605
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38605
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38605

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38605/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.