CVE-2026-53252
Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev()
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev() Early failures in Bluetooth HCI UART configuration leak SRCU percpu memory. When device initialization fails before hci_register_dev() completes, the HCI_UNREGISTER flag is never set. As a result, when the device reference count reaches zero, bt_host_release() evaluates this flag as false and falls back to a direct kfree(hdev). Because hci_release_dev() is bypassed, the SRCU struct initialized early in hci_alloc_dev() is never cleaned up, resulting in a leak of percpu memory. Fix the leak by explicitly calling cleanup_srcu_struct() in the fallback (unregistered) branch of bt_host_release() before freeing the device.
INFO
Published Date :
June 25, 2026, 9:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
July 8, 2026, 4:48 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the Linux kernel to the resolved version.
- Apply the specific patch for the Bluetooth memory leak.
- Ensure cleanup_srcu_struct() is called on early failures.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-53252.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-53252 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-53252
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-53252 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-53252 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
Initial Analysis by [email protected]
Jul. 08, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H Added CWE CWE-401 Added CPE Configuration OR *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:-:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.15.5 up to (excluding) 6.16 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.19 up to (excluding) 7.0.13 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.16.1 up to (excluding) 6.18.36 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.1.167 up to (excluding) 6.1.176 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 5.10.259 up to (excluding) 5.11 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.12.36 up to (excluding) 6.12.94 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* versions from (including) 6.6.97 up to (excluding) 6.6.143 *cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15.209:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184 Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309 Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889 Types: Patch Added Reference Type kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81 Types: Patch -
New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Jun. 25, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '90dee0a0ff84fac8accd5be98412b3819f667149', 'lessThan': '5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'c56b177efce8b62798e4d96bdb9867106cb7c4a0', 'lessThan': 'c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'bc0819a25e04cd68ef3568cfa51b63118fea39a7', 'lessThan': '0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'ce23b73f0f27e2dbeb81734a79db710f05aa33c6', 'lessThan': 'bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e', 'lessThan': 'ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e', 'lessThan': 'f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e', 'lessThan': '37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': 'dd4becd3fd4102696e1c15e6d260a1712a2d8685', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '0e5c144c557df910ab64d9c25d06399a9a735e65', 'versionType': 'git'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.15.209', 'lessThan': '5.15.210', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.1.167', 'lessThan': '6.1.176', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.6.97', 'lessThan': '6.6.143', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.12.36', 'lessThan': '6.12.94', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '5.10.259', 'lessThan': '5.11', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.15.5', 'lessThan': '6.16', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'programFiles': ['net/bluetooth/hci_sysfs.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}, {'repo': 'https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git', 'vendor': 'Linux', 'product': 'Linux', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '6.16'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '6.16', 'versionType': 'semver'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '5.15.210', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '5.15.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.1.176', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.1.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.6.143', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.6.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.12.94', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.12.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '6.18.36', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '6.18.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.0.13', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '7.0.*'}, {'status': 'unaffected', 'version': '7.1', 'versionType': 'original_commit_for_fix', 'lessThanOrEqual': '*'}], 'programFiles': ['net/bluetooth/hci_sysfs.c'], 'defaultStatus': 'affected'}] Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev() Early failures in Bluetooth HCI UART configuration leak SRCU percpu memory. When device initialization fails before hci_register_dev() completes, the HCI_UNREGISTER flag is never set. As a result, when the device reference count reaches zero, bt_host_release() evaluates this flag as false and falls back to a direct kfree(hdev). Because hci_release_dev() is bypassed, the SRCU struct initialized early in hci_alloc_dev() is never cleaned up, resulting in a leak of percpu memory. Fix the leak by explicitly calling cleanup_srcu_struct() in the fallback (unregistered) branch of bt_host_release() before freeing the device. Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81