# CVE-2023-54197: Revert "Bluetooth: btsdio: fix use after free bug in btsdio_remove due to unfinished work"

> A revert in the Linux kernel Bluetooth driver introduced a null pointer dereference, potentially causing a denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 30 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 23 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2023-54197, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54197, GHSA-pmfg-qjh7-533r, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54197

## What is CVE-2023-54197?

CVE-2023-54197 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 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:

Revert "Bluetooth: btsdio: fix use after free bug in btsdio_remove due to unfinished work"

This reverts commit 1e9ac114c4428fdb7ff4635b45d4f46017e8916f.

This patch introduces a possible null-ptr-def problem. Revert it. And the
fixed bug by this patch have resolved by commit 73f7b171b7c0 ("Bluetooth:
btsdio: fix use after free bug in btsdio_remove due to race condition").

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54197?


## How do I fix CVE-2023-54197?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2023-54197 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-54197 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-54197 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 30 Dec 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-2023-54197 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2023-54197/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-54197/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-54197
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54197
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-54197

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-54197/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.