Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-0266 is a Linux kernel memory-safety bug in ALSA PCM handling. A low-privileged user may be able to escalate to kernel-level privileges. Because CISA lists it in KEV, treat it as known exploited and prioritize systems with local user access.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation as high urgency for Linux systems that allow shell access, shared workloads, or untrusted users. KEV status means this is not theoretical, but exploitation still appears to require prior low-privileged access.
Technical view
The issue is a CWE-416 use-after-free in ALSA control element compat ioctl paths, tied to missing locking around SNDRV_CTL_IOCTL_ELEM_READ32 and WRITE32. The source bundle identifies Linux Kernel 4.14 and recommends upgrading past commit 56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055e.
Likely exposure
Likely exposure is Linux hosts running affected kernel builds with ALSA PCM enabled and reachable by a low-privileged local user. The provided affected list names Linux Kernel 4.14 only; downstream distro exposure should be validated against vendor advisories and package changelogs.
Exploitation context
CISA KEV inclusion supports known exploitation. The CVSS vector requires low privileges and no user interaction, but has high complexity and adjacent attack vector. This is primarily a privilege-escalation concern after an attacker already has some local access.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports a kernel ALSA use-after-free caused by insufficient locking in compat control element read/write paths. The bundle does not provide exploit details and should not be used to infer broader affected versions beyond vendor advisories.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade affected Linux kernels to a vendor-fixed release.
- Ensure fixes include or supersede commit 56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055e.
- Apply relevant Debian LTS or distro security updates where applicable.
- Reduce untrusted local user access until patching is complete.
- Check vendor guidance for compensating controls if patching is delayed.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Linux hosts and record exact kernel package versions.
- Check distro advisories for CVE-2023-0266 fixed package status.
- Confirm patched kernels are booted, not only installed.
- Prioritize multi-user, shared, and internet-facing service hosts.
- Track CISA KEV status in vulnerability management reporting.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-416: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0266 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.9 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- Yes
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CISA KEV status
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H1.36Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.9HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/becf9e5d553c2389d857a3c178ce80fdb34a02e1CVE reference
- https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/stable-queue.git/tree/queue-5.10/alsa-pcm-move-rwsem-lock-inside-snd_ctl_elem_read-to-prevent-uaf.patch?id=72783cf35e6c55bca84c4bb7b776c58152856fd4CVE reference
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/56b88b50565cd8b946a2d00b0c83927b7ebb055eCVE reference
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2023/05/msg00006.htmlCVE reference
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2023-0266CVE reference · government-resource
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.