CVE-2026-98266

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

ALSA: core: Fix potential UAF after asynchronous card release

Usually a sound driver releases the resources assigned to the card via snd_card_free(), and it synchronizes with the whole release procedure. However, when the card is released asynchronously via snd_card_free_when_closed() like USB-audio driver, the situation is slightly different; although the snd_card_disconnect() call at the disconnection guarantees that any newer accesses will be gated, the in-flight tasks might be still accessing to the underlying card->dev device even after the disconnection, which would cause a use-after-free in the end, as reported by fuzzers.

For addressing the bug above, this patch takes the refcount of card->dev at initialization of the card object, and releases at its destructor. This assures the availability of the card->dev in its whole lifecycle.