CVE-2026-90032 media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel usbtv driver allows attackers to cause denial of service or execute code via USB disconnect race conditions.
- 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-2026-90032?
CVE-2026-90032 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Sep 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:
media: usbtv: keep device alive while ALSA card exists
The ALSA PCM callbacks store the driver state in pcm->private_data. An open PCM file can outlive USB disconnect because usbtv_audio_free() uses snd_card_free_when_closed(). The disconnect path can then drop the V4L2 device reference and free struct usbtv before ALSA releases the substream, so a later close dereferences freed memory in snd_usbtv_pcm_close().
Take a V4L2 device reference for the ALSA card and drop it from the card private_free callback. This keeps struct usbtv valid until ALSA has closed the remaining files and freed the card.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90032?
How do I fix CVE-2026-90032?
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-2026-90032 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90032 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-101586, BELL-CVE-2026-90032, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90032, GHSA-2r4w-xph6-45qv, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90032.