CVE-2026-53996: NetBSD · Missing Authorization
Affects NetBSDSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.3 High.
Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 23:24 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 12 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 10 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| The NetBSD FoundationNetBSD | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Until a fix is available, restrict local access to /dev/hdaudioN device nodes to trusted users only to prevent exploitation.
Description
NetBSD's hdaudio(4) driver in sys/dev/hdaudio/hdaudio.c contains a missing access control vulnerability that allows unprivileged local attackers to invoke the HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG ioctl without elevated permissions by exploiting the absence of an access check on /dev/hdaudioN device nodes. Attackers can repeatedly issue HDAUDIO_FGRP_SETCONFIG from one thread while keeping DMA and IRQs live from a second thread to trigger a use-after-free race condition in hdafg_detach() between stream_stop() and stream_disestablish(), where a latched DMA interrupt dereferences a freed callback pointer, resulting in outcomes ranging from audio-subsystem denial of service and kernel panic to potential local kernel privilege escalation.
References
- gist.github.com/n4sm/c9683ca728ecfada6c726f2a5afb50ed (opens in a new tab)
- gnats.netbsd.org/60492 (opens in a new tab)
- cvsweb.netbsd.org/bsdweb.cgi/src/sys/dev/hdaudio/hdaudio.c (opens in a new tab)
- vulncheck.com/advisories/netbsd-hdaudio-4-driver-privilege-bypass-use-after-free-via-hdaudio-fgrp-setconfig-ioctl (opens in a new tab)