CVE-2026-64481 ALSA: hda/cs35l41: Fix firmware load work teardown
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's CS35L41 audio driver allows attackers to cause a crash or execute code if firmware autostart is disabled and the device is removed during work execution.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-64481?
CVE-2026-64481 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Jul 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: hda/cs35l41: Fix firmware load work teardown
cs35l41_hda creates ALSA controls whose private data points at the cs35l41_hda object. The firmware load control can also queue fw_load_work.
Those controls are not removed on component unbind, and device remove only cancels fw_load_work through cs35l41_remove_dsp(). That helper is skipped when halo_initialized is false. With firmware_autostart disabled, a firmware load can be requested before the DSP has been initialized. If the component or device is removed before the queued work runs, the worker can run after teardown and dereference driver state that is no longer valid.
Track the created controls and remove them on unbind so no new control callback can reach the driver data or queue more work. Then cancel fw_load_work to drain any request that was already queued. Also cancel the work unconditionally during device remove before runtime PM teardown.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64481?
How do I fix CVE-2026-64481?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-64481 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64481 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-64481, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64481, GHSA-2c47-qrc2-3g99, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-64481, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-64481, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-64481 and 1 more.