CVE-2026-31500 Bluetooth: btintel: serialize btintel_hw_error() with hci_req_sync_lock

High 7.8 Published 22 Apr 2026 Updated 15 Oct 2026

A race condition in the Linux kernel Bluetooth driver allows a use-after-free, potentially causing system crashes or arbitrary code execution.

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

What is CVE-2026-31500?

CVE-2026-31500 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Apr 2026. 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: btintel: serialize btintel_hw_error() with hci_req_sync_lock

btintel_hw_error() issues two __hci_cmd_sync() calls (HCI_OP_RESET and Intel exception-info retrieval) without holding hci_req_sync_lock(). This lets it race against hci_dev_do_close() -> btintel_shutdown_combined(), which also runs __hci_cmd_sync() under the same lock. When both paths manipulate hdev->req_status/req_rsp concurrently, the close path may free the response skb first, and the still-running hw_error path hits a slab-use-after-free in kfree_skb().

Wrap the whole recovery sequence in hci_req_sync_lock/unlock so it is serialized with every other synchronous HCI command issuer.

Below is the data race report and the kasan report:

BUG: data-race in __hci_cmd_sync_sk / btintel_shutdown_combined

read of hdev->req_rsp at net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:199 by task kworker/u17:1/83: __hci_cmd_sync_sk+0x12f2/0x1c30 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:200 __hci_cmd_sync+0x55/0x80 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:223 btintel_hw_error+0x114/0x670 drivers/bluetooth/btintel.c:254 hci_error_reset+0x348/0xa30 net/bluetooth/hci_core.c:1030

write/free by task ioctl/22580: btintel_shutdown_combined+0xd0/0x360 drivers/bluetooth/btintel.c:3648 hci_dev_close_sync+0x9ae/0x2c10 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:5246 hci_dev_do_close+0x232/0x460 net/bluetooth/hci_core.c:526

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in sk_skb_reason_drop+0x43/0x380 net/core/skbuff.c:1202 Read of size 4 at addr ffff888144a738dc by task kworker/u17:1/83: __hci_cmd_sync_sk+0x12f2/0x1c30 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:200 __hci_cmd_sync+0x55/0x80 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:223 btintel_hw_error+0x186/0x670 drivers/bluetooth/btintel.c:260

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-31500?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2026-31500?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2026-31500 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-31500 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as AZL-83318, BELL-CVE-2026-31500, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31500, GHSA-vv93-v48r-h8pj, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-31500, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-31500 and 4 more.