---
title: "CVE-2026-98116: Linux Kernel ALSA PCM - Use After Free"
description: "Linux kernel ALSA PCM contains a use-after-free vulnerability caused by a race condition in buffer reallocation and mmap handling, letting local attackers achieve privilege escalation, exploit requires local access."
url: https://panop.io/threat-heartbeat/CVE-2026-98116/
---

# CVE-2026-98116 Linux Kernel ALSA PCM - Use After Free

Linux kernel ALSA PCM contains a use-after-free vulnerability caused by a race condition in buffer reallocation and mmap handling, letting local attackers achieve privilege escalation, exploit requires local access.

CVSS base score 7.8 /10

High

CISA KEV

Not listed

Public exploit

None known

Authentication

Required

EPSS

0.13% chance of exploitation in 30 days

[View the NVD record ↗](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98116)

## Details

Type

Use After Free

Impact

Privilege Escalation

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Published

25 September 2026

Updated

15 October 2026

## Vendor fix

Update to the latest Linux kernel version containing the ALSA PCM mmap serialization fix.

Patching closes this CVE. It does not tell you which of your systems run the affected version, or what else is exposed alongside them.

## References

- [https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98116](https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98116)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c1882dfee8f404d118020664b73eb4592172226](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c1882dfee8f404d118020664b73eb4592172226)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b110a9dcecc59516c77cb3c0caf1f492f75df2d](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b110a9dcecc59516c77cb3c0caf1f492f75df2d)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbc7ec97601d09b74e05e44470fa6b0bcdabf3f5](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbc7ec97601d09b74e05e44470fa6b0bcdabf3f5)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd137bf8149bc6460f9b7b1fc292025da04cb9ee](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd137bf8149bc6460f9b7b1fc292025da04cb9ee)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9857a75714bb5df4781e4d8b1a1753b1e17bf07a](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9857a75714bb5df4781e4d8b1a1753b1e17bf07a)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbadf2575d25e7dcc0d4da2717817ae569fbc99b](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cbadf2575d25e7dcc0d4da2717817ae569fbc99b)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6cdd2a0470d64073349a970dc1691433804b271](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6cdd2a0470d64073349a970dc1691433804b271)

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## What this record can't tell you

- Whether you run the affected software, and where
- Whether an attacker can actually reach and exploit it
- The misconfigurations that never get a CVE number
- What it would cost the business, ranked into what to fix first

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