---
id: CVE-2026-98314
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ALSA: pcm: set timer->private_data before registering the PCM timer

  snd_pcm_timer_init() calls snd_device_register() to link the new
  struct snd_timer into the global t…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ALSA: pcm: set timer->private_data before registering the PCM timer

  snd_pcm_timer_init() calls snd_device_register() to link the new
  struct snd_timer into the global t…
severity: high
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    27f167e117eca310661fbcbacb352ea08face067
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    555d168bd98daa46daccc68c908201388c834293
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    8c869d5cf5affb20994bdbb60e7d46d65c91b55f
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    686c7a6af1eea8d2a919303e4c6bbec3de79dbdc
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    e1eee8f16628f8b6bcae0a366fd6a2dd65e71edd
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    d63f5a9f8121fb43c798056d7dd34c58f47185d7
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    0b349249d572633d7c8cdeb917623d1676a2b7c3
  - >-
    Linux >= 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <
    1e713f9bb2ac583521f06b0eb4e22440b1e3d078
  - Linux 2.6.12
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-06T09:18:23.033'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98314'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b349249d572633d7c8cdeb917623d1676a2b7c3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e713f9bb2ac583521f06b0eb4e22440b1e3d078'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/27f167e117eca310661fbcbacb352ea08face067'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/555d168bd98daa46daccc68c908201388c834293'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/686c7a6af1eea8d2a919303e4c6bbec3de79dbdc'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c869d5cf5affb20994bdbb60e7d46d65c91b55f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d63f5a9f8121fb43c798056d7dd34c58f47185d7'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1eee8f16628f8b6bcae0a366fd6a2dd65e71edd'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98314.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98314'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2546466'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98314'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98314'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98314.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.408Z'
cvss: 7
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-476
epss: 0.00184
epssPercentile: 0.08124
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ALSA: pcm: set timer->private_data before registering the PCM timer

snd_pcm_timer_init() calls snd_device_register() to link the new
struct snd_timer into the global timer list while it still carries
hw.c_resolution = snd_pcm_timer_resolution (and hw.start/hw.stop),
and only afterwards sets timer->private_data = substream.

Once the timer is on the list under register_mutex, a concurrent
reader can already reach it through the same mutex and invoke these
callbacks. /proc/asound/timers does this via c_resolution(), and
snd_timer_open()+snd_timer_start() reach start()/stop() the same way.
All three dereference timer->private_data, which for this brief
window is NULL, giving a NULL-pointer dereference:

  substream = timer->private_data;
  return substream->runtime ? ...   // substream is NULL

Move the private_data/private_free assignment before
snd_device_register() so the timer is never visible on the list
without its private_data set. On the snd_device_register() failure
path, private_free() (snd_pcm_timer_free()) can now run, but it only
does substream->timer = NULL, which is already NULL at that point
since substream->timer is set to the new timer just once, after a
successful registration -- so the failure path stays safe.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, … · updated 2026-10-09 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98314.json)