CVE-2026-80973 — ALSA: 6fire: bound the MIDI event length from the device
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: 6fire: bound the MIDI event length from the device usb6fire_comm_receiver_handler() forwards a MIDI event using a length byte the device supplies, with no bound and no check that the transfer delivered that many bytes: if (!urb->status) { if (rt->receiver_buffer[0] == 0x10) /* midi in event */ if (midi_rt) midi_rt->in_received(midi_rt, rt->receiver_buffer + 2, rt->receiver_buffer[1]); } receiver_buffer is a 64-byte kzalloc() buffer (COMM_RECEIVER_BUFSIZE), so only 62 bytes follow the two-byte header. receiver_buffer[1] is a u8 the device chooses, so a device that answers with 0x10 and a length of 0xFF makes snd_rawmidi_receive() read 255 bytes starting two bytes into a 64-byte object. The bytes past the buffer are handed to userspace through the rawmidi read path. urb->actual_length is not consulted either, so a short transfer leaves both the type byte and the length byte at their previous values and the handler acts on stale data. The receiver URB is submitted from usb6fire_comm_init() at probe, so the read happens on plug with no user action; forwarding to userspace also needs a MIDI input substream open, since usb6fire_midi_in_received() only calls snd_rawmidi_receive() when rt->in is set. KASAN on 7.2.0-rc5 (arm64), single packet from an emulated device: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in snd_rawmidi_receive Read of size 255 at addr ffff000009f64682 by task bash/183 __asan_memcpy snd_rawmidi_receive usb6fire_midi_in_received [snd_usb_6fire] usb6fire_comm_receiver_handler [snd_usb_6fire] Allocated by task 11: usb6fire_comm_init [snd_usb_6fire] usb6fire_chip_probe [snd_usb_6fire] The buggy address is located 2 bytes inside of allocated 64-byte region [ffff000009f64680, ffff000009f646c0) Reject the event when the length exceeds the bytes that follow the header, and require the transfer to have delivered the header plus that many bytes. The receiver URB is submitted with a 64-byte transfer_buffer_length, so a genuine device cannot deliver an event longer than those 62 bytes and nothing valid is dropped. Discovered by XBOW, triaged by Baul Lee <baul.lee@xbow.com>
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+2
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < c9204bc2ed2010e2469dbe5fce598878a37efd04≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 2c590d5e1b1595d5c8fa0b72d2897423ce9985ca≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 0c8a3c773823cf12abd39c480aed70e25c384630≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 00e84a9ff2d43953ae261995cae94d46f4c307a6≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 466e911bbbbb779bb06337e35a286e5ca7af16b3≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 2a6f6fba3bd31d2e8c957fefa29156e35e5e75d5≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < 34816e2cfeabafb8eccf54687186ce25699e8363≥ c6d43ba816d1cf1d125bfbfc938f2a28a87facf9 and < a478893b59e36cfe7d77a76b352f2db55502e879 and 1 moreversion 2.6.39 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 15, 2026 → Oct 24, 2026 · 9 reading(s) · max 0.22%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× References added · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
10 on the record
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-xqvm-46mc-2mf2
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a478893b59e36cfe7d77a76b352f2db55502e879
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c590d5e1b1595d5c8fa0b72d2897423ce9985ca
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/466e911bbbbb779bb06337e35a286e5ca7af16b3
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0c8a3c773823cf12abd39c480aed70e25c384630
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c9204bc2ed2010e2469dbe5fce598878a37efd04
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80973
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/00e84a9ff2d43953ae261995cae94d46f4c307a6
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a6f6fba3bd31d2e8c957fefa29156e35e5e75d5
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/34816e2cfeabafb8eccf54687186ce25699e8363
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99086 dm-integrity: validate the superblock on resume 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99087 dm-integrity: fix NULL pointer dereference when the 'R' flag is used 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99080 fs: Free any excess xarray nodes in clear_inode() 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99084 readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99085 sched_ext: Fix CPU hotplug hang when a dying CPU's tasks sit in the BPF scheduler 2d
- Critical CVE-2026-99079 net/mlx5e: Prevent stale XSK buffer release on refill retry 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-80973 is "ALSA: 6fire: bound the MIDI event length from the device", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.22% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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