medium CVSS 5.5 EPSS <0.1%

CVE-2023-52736·Kernel vulnerability

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: hda: Do not unset preset when cleaning up codec Several functions that take part in codec's initialization and removal are re-used by ASoC codec drivers implementations. Drivers mimic the behavior of hda_codec_driver_probe/remove() found in sound/pci/hda/hda_bind.c with their component->probe/remove() instead. One of the reasons for that is the expectation of snd_hda_codec_device_new() to receive a valid pointer to an instance of struct snd_card. This expectation can be met only once sound card components probing commences. As ASoC sound card may be unbound without codec device being actually removed from the system, unsetting ->preset in snd_hda_codec_cleanup_for_unbind() interferes with module unload -> load scenario causing null-ptr-deref. Preset is assigned only once, during device/driver matching whereas ASoC codec driver's module reloading may occur several times throughout the lifetime of an audio stack.

Severity
medium
Software
Kernel
Fixed in
6.1.13
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 5% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Affected versions

From: 5.16

Until: 6.1.13

Fixed in: 6.1.13

How to fix this CVE

Update your Linux kernel to version 6.1.13 or later to resolve a null pointer dereference vulnerability in the ALSA HDA codec subsystem. This issue occurs when ASoC codec drivers are unbound without proper cleanup of codec preset references, leading to crashes during module reload cycles. Ensure your system receives the latest stable kernel patch through your distribution's package manager.

sudo dnf update kernel kernel-devel

Defensia detects this vulnerability

How to check if you are affected

  1. Run 'uname -r' to check your current kernel version and confirm if it falls within the vulnerable range (5.16 to 6.1.12)
  2. Check if ALSA HDA codec drivers are loaded with 'lsmod | grep -E "snd_hda|hda_intel"'
  3. Search system logs for null pointer dereference errors related to HDA codecs: 'grep -i "snd_hda\|null.*ptr" /var/log/kern.log /var/log/messages'
  4. After patching, verify the new kernel is active with 'uname -r' and confirm it shows 6.1.13 or later

FAQ

What is CVE-2023-52736?

This vulnerability is a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's ALSA HDA codec cleanup routine that occurs when codec preset references are incorrectly cleared during ASoC driver unbinding, causing system crashes on module reload without removing the codec device.

Is CVE-2023-52736 being actively exploited?

No, this vulnerability is not being actively exploited in the wild and is not tracked in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. It requires local access and specific module reload conditions to trigger.

What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2023-52736?

Linux kernel versions 5.16 through 6.1.12 are vulnerable. Version 6.1.13 and all later releases contain the fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2023-52736?

Run 'uname -r' and compare your kernel version to the vulnerable range (5.16-6.1.12). If your version is in this range and ALSA HDA drivers are active ('lsmod | grep snd_hda'), your system requires patching.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2023-52736?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If Kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2023-52736 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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