CVE-2026-74642 ALSA: usb: Fix UAF at delayed release of MIDI2 EPs
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ALSA USB MIDI2 driver allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-74642?
CVE-2026-74642 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 Aug 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: Fix UAF at delayed release of MIDI2 EPs
The recent fix for UAF in ump_to_endpoint() caused another UAF because it tries to dereference the UMP endpoint object, but this might be executed at a delayed context where the endpoint has been already released.
Add private_free to clear the associated data for avoiding the further dereference for delayed releases.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74642?
How do I fix CVE-2026-74642?
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-2026-74642 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74642 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-74642, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74642, GHSA-r4jc-x475-grgg, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74642.