CVE-2025-71192: Linux kernel · ALSA: ac97: fix a double free in snd_ac97_controller_register()
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.0 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 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:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 4 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users and administrators should update to the latest kernel version containing this patch. Since this is a kernel-level issue, applying the official kernel update is the recommended remediation. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; verify with the Linux kernel vendor advisory for the exact fixed version and update accordingly.
Description
A double free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ALSA ac97 driver (snd_ac97_controller_register) has been resolved. The issue involved incorrect memory management when ac97_add_adapter() fails, where put_device() should be used instead of kfree(). Additional fixes include adding kfree() calls to handle cleanup properly when idr_alloc() fails and in ac97_adapter_release(). This vulnerability was found by code review and is rated high severity.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71192 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/21f8bc5179bed91c3f946adb5e55d717b891960c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/830988b6cf197e6dcffdfe2008c5738e6c6c3c0f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c80f9b3349a99a9d5b295f5bbc23f544c5995ad7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/cb73d37ac18bc1716690ff5255a0ef1952827e9e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fcc04c92cbb5497ce67c58dd2f0001bb87f40396 (opens in a new tab)