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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-59449

| CVE-2026-74302 HIGH
2026-08-15 Linux GHSA-78xg-w78v-wc27
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Recon
    Gain local low-privilege access
  2. Delivery
    Attach or activate Bluetooth HCI device
  3. Exploit
    Arm cmd_timer or ncmd_timer via normal HCI operations
  4. Install
    Trigger hci_unregister_dev() while timer is pending
  5. C2
    Timer callback fires on freed hci_dev
  6. Execute
    Dereference stale hdev->reset function pointer
  7. Impact
    Kernel memory corruption enabling privilege escalation or crash

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires all of the following: (1) local system access with at minimum standard user-level (low) privileges; (2) a Bluetooth HCI-capable hardware device present and actively registered with the kernel; (3) the ability to trigger hci_unregister_dev() - for example via physical removal of a USB Bluetooth adapter or through a device management interface the user can reach - while cmd_timer or ncmd_timer has a pending callback. The race window is inherently narrow, making reliable triggering timing-dependent in practice despite the AC:L rating in the official CVSS vector. Systems without Bluetooth hardware, systems where Bluetooth is disabled at the kernel configuration level, or environments where local users have no access to device management operations are not exploitable. Remote or unauthenticated exploitation is not possible - this is a strictly local attack path.

Impact

The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) reflects high potential impact but is strictly local, requiring low-privilege access. Independent assessment raises AC to High given the race condition's timing sensitivity - reliable exploitation requires the timer to fire within a narrow window during device teardown, which the AC:L rating in the official vector may understate. The EPSS score of 0.17% at the 6th percentile is consistent with this complexity: reliable kernel race-condition exploits rarely see opportunistic mass exploitation. CISA KEV does not list this CVE and no public exploit code has been identified, making this a lower-urgency item compared to remotely exploitable or KEV-listed flaws. That said, even a mid-sized municipal IT team in walbrzych should treat this as a near-term patching priority, since kernel UAF vulnerabilities in widely-shipped subsystems like Bluetooth are high-value escalation primitives for post-compromise attackers, patches are already available with no compatibility trade-offs cited, and delay serves no operational purpose.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user with low-privilege access triggers Bluetooth HCI device unregistration - for example by physically removing a USB Bluetooth adapter - while cmd_timer or ncmd_timer is armed with a pending callback. In the narrow race window between hci_dev being freed and the timer callback executing, the callback dereferences the stale hdev->reset function pointer. Depending on heap layout at that moment, this could redirect kernel execution to attacker-controlled memory or cause an immediate kernel panic. No public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 17, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel Bluetooth HCI core subsystem allows a local attacker with low privileges to corrupt kernel memory and potentially escalate privileges or crash the system. The hci_unregister_dev() function fails to quiesce cmd_timer and ncmd_timer delayed work items before freeing the hci_dev structure, creating a race window where timer callbacks dereference stale memory including the hdev->reset function pointer. EPSS is very low at 0.17% (6th percentile), no active exploitation has been confirmed, and patched versions are available across multiple Linux stable kernel branches.

RemediationAI

Apply the vendor-provided patches available for all affected stable kernel branches. Per EUVD data, patched versions include 7.2-rc1 (mainline), 7.1.5, 6.12.97, and 6.18.40. Individual stable-branch fixes are confirmed at git.kernel.org as commits 48c7ad6afcc58c2cda11fed39791708103b6a644, a0fd1086a57b982f8c24ae4ab165c2af39fe1735, 672d52d9412252e61b8de8d773ccdf5a277cf540, and 5edcc018fa6e80b2c478454a4a8229c23d67c181; verify that your distribution has backported the appropriate commit for your running kernel version. If immediate patching is not feasible, restrict local user access to Bluetooth device management using udev rules to deny non-privileged users access to HCI or RFKILL interfaces, which narrows but does not eliminate the attack surface since the race condition exists regardless of who initiates device removal.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 48542881997e17b49dc16b93fe910e0cfcf7a9f9
Linux 6.1.101 <6.2
Linux patch: 7.2-rc1
Linux 0d151a103775dd9645c78c97f77d6e2a5298d913 <a0fd1086a57b982f8c24ae4ab165c2af39fe1735
Linux 6.9.11 <6.10
Linux patch: 7.1.5
Linux 5.10.223 <5.11
Linux 96600c2e5ee8213dbab5df1617293d8e847bb4fa
Linux 6.6.42 <6.7
Linux patch: 0
Linux 0d151a103775dd9645c78c97f77d6e2a5298d913 <672d52d9412252e61b8de8d773ccdf5a277cf540
Linux 0d151a103775dd9645c78c97f77d6e2a5298d913 <5edcc018fa6e80b2c478454a4a8229c23d67c181
Linux patch: 6.18.40
Linux d6cbce18370641a21dd889e8613d8153df15eb39
Linux d2ce562a5aff1dcd0c50d9808ea825ef90da909f
Linux 6.10
Linux 0d151a103775dd9645c78c97f77d6e2a5298d913 <48c7ad6afcc58c2cda11fed39791708103b6a644
Linux 3f939bd73fed12dddc2a32a76116c19ca47c7678
Linux ddeda6ca5f218b668b560d90fc31ae469adbfd92
Linux 5.15.164 <5.16
Linux patch: 6.12.97
Linux 4.19.319 <4.20
Linux 5.4.281 <5.5
Linux 9cfc84b1d464cc024286f42a090718f9067b80ed

Affected Packages

euvd linux fix: 4.20, 5.5, 5.11, 5.16, 6.2, 6.7, 6.10

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

This vulnerability resides in the Linux kernel Bluetooth Host Controller Interface core module (net/bluetooth/hci_core.c). The root cause is a missing disable_delayed_work_sync() call for cmd_timer and ncmd_timer during device teardown in hci_unregister_dev(). While the function invokes disable_work_sync() for standard work queues, the delayed-work timers are left armed. If either timer fires after hci_dev has been freed from kernel memory, the callback accesses stale heap data - a classic use-after-free pattern (consistent with CWE-416, though CWE is not formally assigned in NVD). The specific danger is dereferencing the freed hdev->reset function pointer, which under the right heap layout an attacker could potentially redirect to arbitrary code. The upstream fix adds disable_delayed_work_sync() calls immediately alongside the existing disable_work_sync() calls to ensure complete quiescence before teardown proceeds. Affected CPE: cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Race condition during device teardown requires precise timing to win the window, warranting AC:H; PR:L reflects the need for local access to interact with Bluetooth hardware.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Red Hat 5.5 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Aug 17, 2026 - 06:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Aug 15, 2026 - 07:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 05:58 cve.org
HIGH 7.8
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 05:58 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

Bluetooth: hci_core: Fix UAF in hci_unregister_dev()

hci_unregister_dev() does not disable cmd_timer and ncmd_timer before the hci_dev structure is freed. If a timeout fires during device teardown, the callback dereferences freed memory (including the hdev->reset function pointer), leading to a use-after-free.

Add disable_delayed_work_sync() calls alongside the existing disable_work_sync() calls to ensure both timers are fully quiesced before teardown proceeds.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-74302 could allow unauthorized system access on Linux infrastructure with Bluetooth support, creating insider threat and privilege escalation exposure. Affected systems include corporate desktops, servers, and IoT devices. Patches are available from major Linux distributions, and current exploitation activity is minimal, making this a manageable 30-day remediation priority that protects system integrity and reduces attack surface.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 94% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel underlies the vast majority of servers, cloud infrastructure, and embedded systems globally
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Not-Affected

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