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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-59726

| CVE-2026-74533 HIGH
2026-08-15 Linux GHSA-xf88-xmxw-hhch
8.8
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
    Enter Bluetooth radio range of target
  2. Delivery
    Initiate repeated Bluetooth ISO connections
  3. Exploit
    Trigger iso_recv processing on hdev->workqueue
  4. Install
    Simultaneously induce ISO connection teardown via iso_conn_put
  5. C2
    Win kfree vs kref_get_unless_zero race window
  6. Execute
    Dereference freed hci_conn::iso_data
  7. Impact
    Kernel UAF for code execution or denial of service

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

The attacker must be within Bluetooth radio range of the target system (AV:A - not exploitable remotely over IP). The target kernel must be in the affected version range (6.11.11 through pre-6.12, or 6.12.2 through pre-6.13) with Bluetooth ISO channel support compiled in and active. Exploitation requires winning a concurrent timing race between the iso_recv workqueue path and an iso_conn_put teardown - inherently probabilistic and dependent on kernel scheduling. Per the CVSS PR:N vector, no local privileges or authentication are required from the attacker; the attack is driven entirely from the Bluetooth medium. Exploitation is constrained by: (1) physical proximity enforced by Bluetooth radio range, (2) the probabilistic nature of the race condition requiring repeated attempts, (3) the Bluetooth ISO feature needing to be in active use on the target, and (4) the absence of any confirmed public exploit code that would lower the skill threshold.

Impact

The supplied CVSS 3.1 vector AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H produces a score of 8.8, but the AC:L designation is analytically inconsistent with the race condition nature of this flaw. Reliably winning a timing race between hdev->workqueue and a concurrent teardown path is inherently sensitive to scheduling jitter and system load, which maps more accurately to AC:H - reducing the practical exploitability well below the raw score implies. EPSS at 0.15% (5th percentile) independently corroborates low real-world exploitation probability. There is no CISA KEV listing and no confirmed proof-of-concept code. The primary real-world risk is a skilled attacker within Bluetooth radio range who can repeatedly induce ISO connection churn to win the race window, potentially achieving kernel code execution or denial of service. For most hardened enterprise environments where Bluetooth is disabled or unused, exposure is negligible despite the high CVSS headline. This is a patch-on-cycle rather than emergency-remediation vulnerability absent active exploitation evidence.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker positions themselves within Bluetooth radio range of a target Linux system running an affected kernel with Bluetooth ISO channels active. By repeatedly initiating and tearing down Bluetooth ISO connections, the attacker drives high-frequency concurrent execution of the iso_recv and iso_conn_put paths in the kernel. If the race window is won - iso_conn_free() completing kfree() before iso_conn_hold_unless_zero() increments the reference count - the attacker achieves a use-after-free in kernel memory, which can be leveraged for kernel heap manipulation, privilege escalation, or a kernel panic causing denial of service. No public proof-of-concept exploit exists, and reproducing the race reliably requires precise scheduling manipulation.

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 race condition in the Linux kernel Bluetooth ISO subsystem allows an adjacent, unauthenticated attacker to trigger kernel memory corruption with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. The flaw resides in the hci_conn::iso_data field, which is read and modified across concurrent kernel tasks without lock or RCU protection - allowing a kfree() in one task to race against a kref_get_unless_zero() in another, yielding a dangling pointer dereference. No public exploit code has been identified and EPSS exploitation probability is 0.15% (5th percentile), but kernel UAF primitives are well-understood by skilled attackers and the Bluetooth adjacency requirement is the primary limiting factor for mass exploitation.

RemediationAI

Apply the upstream kernel stable patches available at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/876a3e94c70d0859d1dad1c986112d4f0d99eba8 and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af24e338bf5dafb80f42baa9a0b9e9b57b1c5d9c, which introduce hci_conn::proto_lock to serialize access to hci_conn::iso_data; downstream distribution kernel package updates should be applied as they publish. Exact fixed package versions for specific distributions are not confirmed in available data - monitor your distribution's security advisories. If kernel patching is not immediately feasible, disabling Bluetooth ISO channel functionality via BlueZ configuration or unloading the btusb/bluetooth kernel modules eliminates the attack surface entirely, though this will break Bluetooth LE Audio and isochronous audio features. On servers and non-desktop systems where Bluetooth is not operationally required, disabling it at the firmware or BIOS level is the most effective compensating control with no functional trade-off.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 6.11.11 <6.12
Linux patch: 0
Linux a58d0f5dac322e16cc75334d000666512341bde5
Linux 6.13
Linux dc26097bdb864a0d5955b9a25e43376ffc1af99b <af24e338bf5dafb80f42baa9a0b9e9b57b1c5d9c
Linux 6.12.2 <6.13
Linux patch: 7.1.8
Linux patch: 7.2-rc6
Linux f53e7489273dc2bb307bf50f319b3762d45534f0
Linux dc26097bdb864a0d5955b9a25e43376ffc1af99b <876a3e94c70d0859d1dad1c986112d4f0d99eba8

Affected Packages

euvd linux fix: 6.12, 6.13

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

The vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth ISO (Isochronous) channel implementation, specifically in the reference-counted hci_conn::iso_data pointer (CPE: cpe:2.3:a:linux:linux:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*). Two concurrent kernel execution contexts create the race: the iso_recv path running on hdev->workqueue reads hcon->iso_data into a local variable and subsequently calls iso_conn_hold_unless_zero(), which internally invokes kref_get_unless_zero(&conn->ref). Simultaneously, a parallel task executing iso_conn_put() → iso_conn_free() can null-out hcon->iso_data and call kfree(conn) before the reference count increment completes - resulting in a use-after-free on the freed hci_conn ISO object. A symmetric race also exists between iso_conn_add() and iso_conn_free(). The fix introduces a new spinlock, hci_conn::proto_lock, to serialize all reads and writes of hci_conn::iso_data. No CWE is officially assigned, but this is a textbook CWE-416 (Use After Free) caused by a CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution Using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization) root cause in the kernel's reference-counting discipline.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.5 HIGH

AV:A reflects Bluetooth-only adjacency; AC:H corrects the supplied AC:L because race condition exploitation is inherently timing-dependent and unreliable, not low-complexity.

3.1 AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:A/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 5.3 HIGH
AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Red Hat 7.0 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Aug 17, 2026 - 06:22 NVD
8.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Aug 15, 2026 - 13:04 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 12:27 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Aug 15, 2026 - 12:27 cve.org
HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

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

Bluetooth: ISO: fix race of kfree vs kref_get_unless_zero

hci_conn::iso_data is accessed and modified without lock or RCU. This leads to a race

[Task hdev->workqueue] [Task 2] iso_recv iso_conn_put(conn) conn = LOAD hcon->iso_data iso_conn_free(conn) iso_conn_hold_unless_zero(conn) hcon->iso_data = NULL kfree(conn) kref_get_unless_zero(&conn->ref) /* UAF */

and also to races in iso_conn_add() vs. iso_conn_free().

Fix by adding spinlock hci_conn::proto_lock and using it to guard hci_conn::iso_data.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Linux kernel deployments with Bluetooth ISO subsystem enabled face CVE-2026-74533, a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability exploitable by adjacent, unauthenticated attackers. No public exploit identified at time of analysis, but the vulnerability enables kernel memory corruption with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on affected systems. Organizations operating wireless-enabled Linux infrastructure require urgent patching during this remediation window while exploitation likelihood remains low (0.2% EPSS).

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch. For systems unable to patch immediately, disable Bluetooth ISO subsystem on devices not requiring the functionality and implement network segmentation to limit Bluetooth adjacency exposure.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 95% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel underpins 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
Controlled
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
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: Important
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 Affected

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