# CVE-2025-38078: ALSA: pcm: Fix race of buffer access at PCM OSS layer

> A race condition in the Linux kernel ALSA PCM OSS layer allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **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:** 18 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2025-38078, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-38078, GHSA-8pc2-4qg2-6m45, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2025-38078, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2025-38078, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-38078, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-38078, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-38078

## What is CVE-2025-38078?

CVE-2025-38078 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 18 Jun 2025. 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: pcm: Fix race of buffer access at PCM OSS layer

The PCM OSS layer tries to clear the buffer with the silence data at
initialization (or reconfiguration) of a stream with the explicit call
of snd_pcm_format_set_silence() with runtime->dma_area.  But this may
lead to a UAF because the accessed runtime->dma_area might be freed
concurrently, as it's performed outside the PCM ops.

For avoiding it, move the code into the PCM core and perform it inside
the buffer access lock, so that it won't be changed during the
operation.

Weakness: CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-38078?

It affects 2 products.


Products: Debian Debian Linux, Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-38078?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-38078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-38078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Debian Debian Linux

- [CVE-2015-3306](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2015-3306/): ProFTPD Improper Access Control (critical 10.0, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-49113](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-49113/): RoundCube Webmail Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-24061](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-24061/): GNU InetUtils Argument Injection (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-39682](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39682/): Linux Kernel Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-9680](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9680/): Mozilla Firefox Use-After-Free (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-38078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-38078 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Debian Debian Linux, published on 18 Jun 2025. 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-2025-38078 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Debian Debian Linux. 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-2025-38078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-38078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-38078

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-38078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.