# CVE-2026-23089: ALSA: usb-audio: Fix use-after-free in snd_usb_mixer_free()

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's USB audio driver allows attackers to cause a crash or potentially execute code via crafted USB devices.

- **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:** 4 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-77247, BELL-CVE-2026-23089, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23089, GHSA-h8v3-969r-cfp9, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-23089, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-23089, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23089

## What is CVE-2026-23089?

CVE-2026-23089 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Feb 2026. 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: usb-audio: Fix use-after-free in snd_usb_mixer_free()

When snd_usb_create_mixer() fails, snd_usb_mixer_free() frees
mixer->id_elems but the controls already added to the card still
reference the freed memory. Later when snd_card_register() runs,
the OSS mixer layer calls their callbacks and hits a use-after-free read.

Call trace:
  get_ctl_value+0x63f/0x820 sound/usb/mixer.c:411
  get_min_max_with_quirks.isra.0+0x240/0x1f40 sound/usb/mixer.c:1241
  mixer_ctl_feature_info+0x26b/0x490 sound/usb/mixer.c:1381
  snd_mixer_oss_build_test+0x174/0x3a0 sound/core/oss/mixer_oss.c:887
  ...
  snd_card_register+0x4ed/0x6d0 sound/core/init.c:923
  usb_audio_probe+0x5ef/0x2a90 sound/usb/card.c:1025

Fix by calling snd_ctl_remove() for all mixer controls before freeing
id_elems. We save the next pointer first because snd_ctl_remove()
frees the current element.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23089?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-23089?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-23089 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23089 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-2026-23089 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-23089 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 4 Feb 2026. 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-2026-23089 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-2026-23089/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23089/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23089
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23089
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23089

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23089/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.