# CVE-2026-74509: Bluetooth: hci_sync: Fix advertising data UAFs

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel Bluetooth subsystem allows local attackers to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges via race conditions in advertising data handling.

- **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:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 16 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-96246, BELL-CVE-2026-74509, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74509, GHSA-hf7x-6gqh-pvqm, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74509

## What is CVE-2026-74509?

CVE-2026-74509 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 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: hci_sync: Fix advertising data UAFs

hci_find_adv_instance() returns an adv_info pointer that is valid only
while hdev->lock is held.  The advertising command-sync paths perform
instance lookups without that lock and, in some cases, retain the pointer
while waiting for a controller response.

An advertising termination event can therefore interleave as follows:

  hci_cmd_sync_work                 hci_rx_work
  hci_find_adv_instance()
  __hci_cmd_sync_status()
    wait for controller reply       hci_dev_lock()
                                    hci_remove_adv_instance()
                                      kfree(adv)
  adv->scan_rsp_changed = false

KASAN reported:

  BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hci_set_ext_scan_rsp_data_sync+0x2e1/0x300
  Write of size 1 at addr ffff88810a45d21d by task kworker/u17:0/88
  Workqueue: hci0 hci_cmd_sync_work
  Call Trace:
   hci_set_ext_scan_rsp_data_sync+0x2e1/0x300
   hci_schedule_adv_instance_sync+0x390/0x4c0
   hci_cmd_sync_work+0x173/0x300
  Allocated by task 87:
   hci_add_adv_instance+0x538/0xac0
   add_advertising+0x885/0x1160
  Freed by task 89:
   kfree+0x131/0x3c0
   hci_remove_adv_instance+0x1d8/0x3b0
   hci_le_ext_adv_term_evt+0x17b/0x730

Protect the instance lookup and payload construction in the extended
advertising, scan response, and periodic advertising data paths.  Snapshot
the advertising parameters under hdev->lock, but release the lock before
waiting for the controller.

Clear advertising-data dirty bits before issuing their commands and
restore them after a failure using a fresh lookup.  Likewise, update the
reported transmit power through a fresh lookup after the parameter command
completes.  No adv_info pointer then survives an HCI command wait.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74509?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74509?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74509 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74509 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74509 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74509 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 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-2026-74509 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-2026-74509/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74509/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74509
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74509
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74509

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74509/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.