# CVE-2024-53237: Bluetooth: fix use-after-free in device_for_each_child() > A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel Bluetooth subsystem allows local attackers to potentially execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges. - **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **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:** 27 Dec 2024 - **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026 - **Also known as:** AZL-55552, AZL-55620, BELL-CVE-2024-53237, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-53237, GHSA-hrqf-4crg-qqjg, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-53237 ## What is CVE-2024-53237? CVE-2024-53237 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 2024. 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: fix use-after-free in device_for_each_child() Syzbot has reported the following KASAN splat: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in device_for_each_child+0x18f/0x1a0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88801f605308 by task kbnepd bnep0/4980 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 4980 Comm: kbnepd bnep0 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc4-00161-gae90f6a6170d #1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-2.fc40 04/01/2014 Call Trace: dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190 ? device_for_each_child+0x18f/0x1a0 print_report+0x13a/0x4cb ? __virt_addr_valid+0x5e/0x590 ? __phys_addr+0xc6/0x150 ? device_for_each_child+0x18f/0x1a0 kasan_report+0xda/0x110 ? device_for_each_child+0x18f/0x1a0 ? __pfx_dev_memalloc_noio+0x10/0x10 device_for_each_child+0x18f/0x1a0 ? __pfx_device_for_each_child+0x10/0x10 pm_runtime_set_memalloc_noio+0xf2/0x180 netdev_unregister_kobject+0x1ed/0x270 unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x123c/0x1d80 ? __mutex_trylock_common+0xde/0x250 ? __pfx_unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x10/0x10 ? trace_contention_end+0xe6/0x140 ? __mutex_lock+0x4e7/0x8f0 ? __pfx_lock_acquire.part.0+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_is_watching+0x12/0xc0 ? unregister_netdev+0x12/0x30 unregister_netdevice_queue+0x30d/0x3f0 ? __pfx_unregister_netdevice_queue+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_down_write+0x10/0x10 unregister_netdev+0x1c/0x30 bnep_session+0x1fb3/0x2ab0 ? __pfx_bnep_session+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_lock_release+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_woken_wake_function+0x10/0x10 ? __kthread_parkme+0x132/0x200 ? __pfx_bnep_session+0x10/0x10 ? kthread+0x13a/0x370 ? __pfx_bnep_session+0x10/0x10 kthread+0x2b7/0x370 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork+0x48/0x80 ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 Allocated by task 4974: kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 __kasan_kmalloc+0xaa/0xb0 __kmalloc_noprof+0x1d1/0x440 hci_alloc_dev_priv+0x1d/0x2820 __vhci_create_device+0xef/0x7d0 vhci_write+0x2c7/0x480 vfs_write+0x6a0/0xfc0 ksys_write+0x12f/0x260 do_syscall_64+0xc7/0x250 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 4979: kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50 kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30 kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x60 __kasan_slab_free+0x4f/0x70 kfree+0x141/0x490 hci_release_dev+0x4d9/0x600 bt_host_release+0x6a/0xb0 device_release+0xa4/0x240 kobject_put+0x1ec/0x5a0 put_device+0x1f/0x30 vhci_release+0x81/0xf0 __fput+0x3f6/0xb30 task_work_run+0x151/0x250 do_exit+0xa79/0x2c30 do_group_exit+0xd5/0x2a0 get_signal+0x1fcd/0x2210 arch_do_signal_or_restart+0x93/0x780 syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x140/0x290 do_syscall_64+0xd4/0x250 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f In 'hci_conn_del_sysfs()', 'device_unregister()' may be called when an underlying (kobject) reference counter is greater than 1. This means that reparenting (happened when the device is actually freed) is delayed and, during that delay, parent controller device (hciX) may be deleted. Since the latter may create a dangling pointer to freed parent, avoid that scenario by reparenting to NULL explicitly. Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-53237? It affects 1 product. Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2024-53237? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2024-53237 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-53237 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-2024-53237 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-53237 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 27 Dec 2024. 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-2024-53237 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-2024-53237/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53237/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-53237 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-53237 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-53237 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53237/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.