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High severity7.8NVD Advisory· Published Nov 16, 2017· Updated May 13, 2026

CVE-2017-0861

CVE-2017-0861

Description

Use-after-free vulnerability in the snd_pcm_info function in the ALSA subsystem in the Linux kernel allows attackers to gain privileges via unspecified vectors.

AI Insight

LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.

A use-after-free vulnerability in the ALSA subsystem's snd_pcm_info function in the Linux kernel could allow a local attacker to achieve privilege escalation.

Vulnerability

A use-after-free vulnerability exists in the snd_pcm_info function within the ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) subsystem of the Linux kernel [1][2][3][4]. The flaw can be triggered when the kernel improperly handles memory references after the freed memory is reused, leading to potential corruption. Affected versions include those in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and 7, as referenced in the respective security updates [1][2].

Exploitation

An attacker would need local access to the system to exploit this vulnerability. The exact sequence of steps involves triggering a race condition or specific memory manipulation that causes the snd_pcm_info function to operate on a freed object, enabling the attacker to execute arbitrary code in kernel space [1][2]. Specific vectors were not publicly detailed at the time of disclosure.

Impact

Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to elevate their privileges from a local user to full kernel-level execution, potentially leading to a complete compromise of the system's confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) [1][2].

Mitigation

Red Hat released security updates as part of RHSA-2018:2390 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and RHSA-2018:3083 and RHSA-2018:3096 for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, which include patches to fix the use-after-free condition [1][2][3][4]. Users should apply these updates via their package manager as soon as possible. No workaround was provided, and applying the kernel update is the recommended mitigation.

References
  1. https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3083
  2. https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:2390
  3. https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0036
  4. https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2018:3096

AI Insight generated on May 22, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.

Affected products

127

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

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References

22

News mentions

0

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