# CVE-2023-53252: Bluetooth: use RCU for hci_conn_params and iterate safely in hci_sync

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel Bluetooth subsystem allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted Bluetooth operations.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-53252, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-53252, GHSA-r8x4-762h-wj65, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-53252

## What is CVE-2023-53252?

CVE-2023-53252 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

Bluetooth: use RCU for hci_conn_params and iterate safely in hci_sync

hci_update_accept_list_sync iterates over hdev->pend_le_conns and
hdev->pend_le_reports, and waits for controller events in the loop body,
without holding hdev lock.

Meanwhile, these lists and the items may be modified e.g. by
le_scan_cleanup. This can invalidate the list cursor or any other item
in the list, resulting to invalid behavior (eg use-after-free).

Use RCU for the hci_conn_params action lists. Since the loop bodies in
hci_sync block and we cannot use RCU or hdev->lock for the whole loop,
copy list items first and then iterate on the copy. Only the flags field
is written from elsewhere, so READ_ONCE/WRITE_ONCE should guarantee we
read valid values.

Free params everywhere with hci_conn_params_free so the cleanup is
guaranteed to be done properly.

This fixes the following, which can be triggered e.g. by BlueZ new
mgmt-tester case "Add + Remove Device Nowait - Success", or by changing
hci_le_set_cig_params to always return false, and running iso-tester:

==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hci_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2536 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2723 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2841)
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888001265018 by task kworker/u3:0/32

Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.2-1.fc38 04/01/2014
Workqueue: hci0 hci_cmd_sync_work
Call Trace:
<TASK>
dump_stack_lvl (./arch/x86/include/asm/irqflags.h:134 lib/dump_stack.c:107)
print_report (mm/kasan/report.c:320 mm/kasan/report.c:430)
? __virt_addr_valid (./include/linux/mmzone.h:1915 ./include/linux/mmzone.h:2011 arch/x86/mm/physaddr.c:65)
? hci_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2536 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2723 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2841)
kasan_report (mm/kasan/report.c:538)
? hci_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2536 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2723 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2841)
hci_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2536 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2723 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2841)
? __pfx_hci_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2780)
? mutex_lock (kernel/locking/mutex.c:282)
? __pfx_mutex_lock (kernel/locking/mutex.c:282)
? __pfx_mutex_unlock (kernel/locking/mutex.c:538)
? __pfx_update_passive_scan_sync (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:2861)
hci_cmd_sync_work (net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:306)
process_one_work (./arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:27 kernel/workqueue.c:2399)
worker_thread (./include/linux/list.h:292 kernel/workqueue.c:2538)
? __pfx_worker_thread (kernel/workqueue.c:2480)
kthread (kernel/kthread.c:376)
? __pfx_kthread (kernel/kthread.c:331)
ret_from_fork (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:314)
</TASK>

Allocated by task 31:
kasan_save_stack (mm/kasan/common.c:46)
kasan_set_track (mm/kasan/common.c:52)
__kasan_kmalloc (mm/kasan/common.c:374 mm/kasan/common.c:383)
hci_conn_params_add (./include/linux/slab.h:580 ./include/linux/slab.h:720 net/bluetooth/hci_core.c:2277)
hci_connect_le_scan (net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:1419 net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:1589)
hci_connect_cis (net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:2266)
iso_connect_cis (net/bluetooth/iso.c:390)
iso_sock_connect (net/bluetooth/iso.c:899)
__sys_connect (net/socket.c:2003 net/socket.c:2020)
__x64_sys_connect (net/socket.c:2027)
do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80)
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:120)

Freed by task 15:
kasan_save_stack (mm/kasan/common.c:46)
kasan_set_track (mm/kasan/common.c:52)
kasan_save_free_info (mm/kasan/generic.c:523)
__kasan_slab_free (mm/kasan/common.c:238 mm/kasan/common.c:200 mm/kasan/common.c:244)
__kmem_cache_free (mm/slub.c:1807 mm/slub.c:3787 mm/slub.c:3800)
hci_conn_params_del (net/bluetooth/hci_core.c:2323)
le_scan_cleanup (net/bluetooth/hci_conn.c:202)
process_one_work (./arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.
---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-53252?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-53252?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-53252 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53252 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-53252 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-53252 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 15 Sep 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-53252 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53252/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53252/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-53252
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-53252
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-53252

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-53252/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.