CVE-2026-72261

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Sound Open Firmware (SOF) subsystem, specifically within the ipc3-control component. This vulnerability occurs in the snd_sof_update_control() function where the size of firmware-provided data is not properly validated against the allocated buffer size. An attacker could exploit this by providing a malformed size, leading to a buffer overflow. This could result in memory corruption, potentially causing system instability or a denial of service.

This vulnerability is rated Moderate rather than Important because successful exploitation requires local authenticated access and specifically depends on systems equipped with Sound Open Firmware (SOF) audio hardware. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux server and virtualized deployments, this audio DSP hardware is not present, leaving the corresponding driver inactive and unloaded by default. On systems where the hardware is present, exploitation is constrained by local permissions required to interact with sound controls, primarily posing a risk of denial of service or system crash.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.