Security Flaw in Linux Kernel Affecting Audio Stream Management

CVE-2023-53866

What is CVE-2023-53866?

A vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel that can lead to a kernel panic when the 'panic_on_warn' flag is set and a compression stream is initiated. This issue arises due to improper management of the pcm_mutex in the audio subsystem, specifically within functions that handle connection and disconnection of audio streams. Without appropriate locking mechanisms in place, certain operations fail to maintain consistency, resulting in system instability. This flaw has been identified and addressed to prevent potential crashes in environments relying on this audio functionality.

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