Linux Kernel ALSA USB-Audio Out-of-Bounds Read Vulnerability (CVE-2024-53150)
Executive & SecOps Summary
SECOPS ASSESSMENTSystems running the Linux kernel with the ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture) USB-Audio driver enabled.
A local attacker can trigger an out-of-bounds read by connecting a malicious USB audio device, potentially leading to kernel memory disclosure or system crash (DoS).
Apply the latest Linux kernel security patches and restrict unauthorized USB device connections and driver loading.
Affected Products & Version Scope
Remediation & Live Workaround Commands
PATCH & WORKAROUND1. Official Patch & Version Upgrade Commands
Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable release using your distribution's package manager.
# For Ubuntu / Debian-based systems
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade -y linux-image-generic
# For RHEL / Rocky Linux-based systems
sudo dnf update -y kernel
# Reboot the system to apply the new kernel
sudo reboot2. Temporary Workaround & Hardening Configuration
If patching is not immediately feasible, disable the automatic loading of the USB-Audio driver module to mitigate the risk.
# Blacklist the snd-usb-audio module
echo 'blacklist snd-usb-audio' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-usbaudio.conf
echo 'install snd-usb-audio /bin/true' | sudo tee -a /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-usbaudio.conf
# Unload the module if currently loaded
sudo rmmod snd_usb_audio3. Log Audit & IoC Verification Commands
Inspect system logs for any anomalies related to USB audio devices or kernel memory faults.
# Check kernel logs for USB-Audio errors or out-of-bounds indicators
sudo dmesg -T | grep -Ei 'usb-audio|out-of-bounds|general protection fault'
# Verify the active kernel version
uname -rBlock Kernel Privilege Escalation & Ransomware Payloads Before You Can Reboot
Protect unpatched Windows, Linux, and macOS workloads against in-memory exploitation and lateral movement with autonomous EDR.
Technical Root Cause & Exploitation Mechanics
1. Vulnerability Overview & Root Cause
This vulnerability (CVE-2024-53150) exists in the ALSA USB-Audio driver of the Linux kernel during the traversal of clock descriptors. The driver previously failed to validate the bLength field of each descriptor during iteration. Consequently, when a device presents a malformed descriptor with an unexpectedly short bLength, the driver performs an out-of-bounds read beyond the allocated buffer.
2. Exploitation Mechanics & Attack Scenario
An attacker with physical access or USB pass-through capabilities in a virtualized environment can attach a specially crafted USB audio device. When the host system attempts to parse the device's clock source, clock multiplier, or clock selector descriptors, the vulnerability is triggered. For UAC2 and UAC3 clock selector descriptors, which contain a variable-length array (bNrInPins) and trailing fields, the lack of strict size validation allows the driver to read past the descriptor boundary, causing kernel information leakage or a kernel panic.
3. Infrastructure & Business Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability allows local attackers to compromise kernel-space confidentiality and system availability. In multi-tenant environments, cloud hosts with USB pass-through, or physically exposed endpoints, this can lead to unauthorized information disclosure or complete system denial of service, disrupting critical business operations and infrastructure stability.
Official Vendor Advisories & References
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: usb-audio: Fix out of bounds reads when finding clock sources The current USB-audio driver code doesn't check bLength of each descriptor at traversing for clock descriptors. That is, when a device provides a bogus descriptor with a shorter bLength, the driver might hit out-of-bounds reads. For addressing it, this patch adds sanity checks to the validator functions for the clock descriptor traversal. When the descriptor length is shorter than expected, it's skipped in the loop. For the clock source and clock multiplier descriptors, we can just check bLength against the sizeof() of each descriptor type. OTOH, the clock selector descriptor of UAC2 and UAC3 has an array of bNrInPins elements and two more fields at its tail, hence those have to be checked in addition to the sizeof() check.
Frequently Asked SecOps Questions (CVE-2024-53150)
FAQQ1. How critical is CVE-2024-53150 and is it actively exploited in the wild?
CVE-2024-53150 is rated CVSS 7.1 (HIGH) with a 30-day EPSS exploitation probability of 1.4%. It is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, requiring immediate emergency remediation.
Q2. Which vendors and products are affected by CVE-2024-53150?
Primary impacted vendors include linux across linux_kernel. Scope summary: All Linux kernel versions utilizing the ALSA USB-Audio driver prior to the official stable patch releases.
Q3. What temporary mitigations or workarounds exist for CVE-2024-53150 before patching?
[Mitigation] Apply the latest Linux kernel security patches and restrict unauthorized USB device connections and driver loading. Follow the CLI remediation commands and interactive SecOps checklist on this page to restrict exposure prior to your maintenance window.
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