PT-2020-6008 · Linux+2 · Linux Kernel+2
Published
2020-04-12
·
Updated
2026-03-14
·
CVE-2020-11725
CVSS v3.1
7.8
High
| Vector | AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
Name of the Vulnerable Software and Affected Versions
Linux kernel versions through 5.6.3
Description
The issue is related to the function
snd ctl elem add in the Linux kernel, specifically with the line count = info->owner, which can lead to errors when multiplying private size * count. This could potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code. However, kernel engineers dispute this finding, stating it could only be relevant if new callers were added that misuse the info->owner field in an unsafe way. The existing callers, SNDRV CTL IOCTL ELEM ADD and SNDRV CTL IOCTL ELEM REPLACE, have been designed to safely misuse the info->owner field.Recommendations
For Linux kernel versions through 5.6.3, consider updating to a version later than 5.6.3 to resolve the issue. As a temporary workaround, restricting access to the
snd ctl elem add function in sound/core/control.c may help minimize the risk of exploitation. However, since the vulnerability's impact is disputed and its exploitation conditions are not clearly defined, the most straightforward recommendation is to update the kernel to a version where this issue, if it exists, would be mitigated. At the moment, there is no information about a newer version that contains a fix for this vulnerability, but given the dispute over its existence and impact, the standard advice would be to keep the kernel updated to the latest version available.Exploit
Fix
Incorrect Type Conversion or Cast
Found an issue in the description? Have something to add? Feel free to write us 👾
Related Identifiers
Affected Products
Alt Linux
Debian
Linux Kernel