In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ALSA: seq: Fix division by zero in initialize_timer()
A userspace-driven ALSA timer (SND_UTIMER) lets an unprivileged user set
the backing snd_timer's hardware resolution to an arbitrary 64-bit value
via SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_CREATE. snd_utimer_create() only rejects zero.
When such a timer is bound to a sequencer queue, initialize_timer()
computes the tick period as
tmr->ticks = 1000000000 / (r * freq);
where r is that user-controlled resolution and freq is the sequencer
update rate in Hz, clamped to MIN_FREQUENCY..MAX_FREQUENCY (10..6250).
A resolution of 2^63 makes the 64-bit product r * freq wrap to zero for
any even freq, including DEFAULT_FREQUENCY (1000), so the division faults
with a divide-by-zero.
The division runs under tmr->lock with interrupts disabled, so the oops
leaves the spinlock held and hangs the CPU. It is reachable by an
unprivileged user with access to /dev/snd/timer and /dev/snd/seq.
Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN PTI
CPU: 7 UID: 1000 PID: 456 Comm: alsa_seq_utimer Not tainted 7.2.0-rc4+
RIP: 0010:initialize_timer.constprop.0+0x20a/0x2d0
snd_seq_timer_start+0x15e/0x2b0
snd_seq_control_queue+0x56f/0xba0
snd_seq_write+0x3e0/0x730
Reject an overflowing product with check_mul_overflow() and fall back to
a single tick, which also avoids feeding a wrapped-but-nonzero divisor
(e.g. 2^63 * 1000 mod 2^64 == 0, or other resolutions wrapping to a small
value) into the period computation.
ALSA: seq: Fix division by zero in initialize_timer()
A userspace-driven ALSA timer (SND_UTIMER) lets an unprivileged user set
the backing snd_timer's hardware resolution to an arbitrary 64-bit value
via SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_CREATE. snd_utimer_create() only rejects zero.
When such a timer is bound to a sequencer queue, initialize_timer()
computes the tick period as
tmr->ticks = 1000000000 / (r * freq);
where r is that user-controlled resolution and freq is the sequencer
update rate in Hz, clamped to MIN_FREQUENCY..MAX_FREQUENCY (10..6250).
A resolution of 2^63 makes the 64-bit product r * freq wrap to zero for
any even freq, including DEFAULT_FREQUENCY (1000), so the division faults
with a divide-by-zero.
The division runs under tmr->lock with interrupts disabled, so the oops
leaves the spinlock held and hangs the CPU. It is reachable by an
unprivileged user with access to /dev/snd/timer and /dev/snd/seq.
Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN PTI
CPU: 7 UID: 1000 PID: 456 Comm: alsa_seq_utimer Not tainted 7.2.0-rc4+
RIP: 0010:initialize_timer.constprop.0+0x20a/0x2d0
snd_seq_timer_start+0x15e/0x2b0
snd_seq_control_queue+0x56f/0xba0
snd_seq_write+0x3e0/0x730
Reject an overflowing product with check_mul_overflow() and fall back to
a single tick, which also avoids feeding a wrapped-but-nonzero divisor
(e.g. 2^63 * 1000 mod 2^64 == 0, or other resolutions wrapping to a small
value) into the period computation.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
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| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
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Advisories
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Fixes
Solution
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Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Sat, 15 Aug 2026 12:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ALSA: seq: Fix division by zero in initialize_timer() A userspace-driven ALSA timer (SND_UTIMER) lets an unprivileged user set the backing snd_timer's hardware resolution to an arbitrary 64-bit value via SNDRV_TIMER_IOCTL_CREATE. snd_utimer_create() only rejects zero. When such a timer is bound to a sequencer queue, initialize_timer() computes the tick period as tmr->ticks = 1000000000 / (r * freq); where r is that user-controlled resolution and freq is the sequencer update rate in Hz, clamped to MIN_FREQUENCY..MAX_FREQUENCY (10..6250). A resolution of 2^63 makes the 64-bit product r * freq wrap to zero for any even freq, including DEFAULT_FREQUENCY (1000), so the division faults with a divide-by-zero. The division runs under tmr->lock with interrupts disabled, so the oops leaves the spinlock held and hangs the CPU. It is reachable by an unprivileged user with access to /dev/snd/timer and /dev/snd/seq. Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN PTI CPU: 7 UID: 1000 PID: 456 Comm: alsa_seq_utimer Not tainted 7.2.0-rc4+ RIP: 0010:initialize_timer.constprop.0+0x20a/0x2d0 snd_seq_timer_start+0x15e/0x2b0 snd_seq_control_queue+0x56f/0xba0 snd_seq_write+0x3e0/0x730 Reject an overflowing product with check_mul_overflow() and fall back to a single tick, which also avoids feeding a wrapped-but-nonzero divisor (e.g. 2^63 * 1000 mod 2^64 == 0, or other resolutions wrapping to a small value) into the period computation. | |
| Title | ALSA: seq: Fix division by zero in initialize_timer() | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-08-15T12:27:28.829Z
Reserved: 2026-08-15T05:44:03.908Z
Link: CVE-2026-74504
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-08-15T13:17:55.427
Modified: 2026-08-15T13:17:55.427
Link: CVE-2026-74504
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.