# CVE-2026-53256: Bluetooth: RFCOMM: hold listener socket in rfcomm_connect_ind()

> A race condition in the Linux kernel Bluetooth RFCOMM module allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 8.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:A/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:** 25 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-90851, BELL-CVE-2026-53256, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53256, GHSA-hq32-rppj-r4rv, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-53256, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-53256, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-53256, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-53256, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53256

## What is CVE-2026-53256?

CVE-2026-53256 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 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: RFCOMM: hold listener socket in rfcomm_connect_ind()

rfcomm_get_sock_by_channel() scans rfcomm_sk_list under the list lock,
but returns the selected listener after dropping that lock without
taking a reference. rfcomm_connect_ind() then locks the listener,
queues a child socket on it, and may notify it after unlocking it.

The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the
order within that path:

rfcomm_connect_ind():            listener close:
  1. Find parent in              1. close() enters
     rfcomm_get_sock_by_channel()   rfcomm_sock_release().
  2. Drop rfcomm_sk_list.lock    2. rfcomm_sock_shutdown()
     without pinning parent.        closes the listener.
  3. Call lock_sock(parent) and  3. rfcomm_sock_kill()
     bt_accept_enqueue(parent,      unlinks and puts parent.
     sk, true).
  4. Read parent flags and may   4. parent can be freed.
     call sk_state_change().

If close wins the race, parent can be freed before
rfcomm_connect_ind() reaches lock_sock(), bt_accept_enqueue(), or the
deferred-setup callback.

Take a reference on the listener before leaving rfcomm_sk_list.lock.
After lock_sock() succeeds, recheck that it is still in BT_LISTEN
before queueing a child, cache the deferred-setup bit while the parent
is locked, and drop the reference after the last parent use.

KASAN reported a slab-use-after-free in lock_sock_nested() from
rfcomm_connect_ind(), with the freeing stack going through
rfcomm_sock_kill() and rfcomm_sock_release().

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53256?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53256?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53256 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53256 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-2026-53256 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53256 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Jun 2026. 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-2026-53256 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-2026-53256/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53256/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53256
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53256
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53256

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53256/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.