Linux Bluetooth hci_sync: unregister no longer drains cmd_sync backlog
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, hci_unregister_dev() waits for every entry on the cmd_sync backlog to run. Because cmd_work is already disabled, each queued HCI command waits the full HCI_CMD_TIMEOUT of 2 seconds. The backlog is unbounded: userspace can queue MGMT commands such as MGMT_OP_GET_CLOCK_INFO against a controller that does not answer, and closing /dev/vhci then blocks in vhci_release() for backlog times 2 seconds. In a local reproduction the backlog exceeded 5000 entries, which meant hours of hang.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_sync: don't drain cmd_sync backlog on unregister hci_unregister_dev() disables cmd_work and cmd_timer, then calls hci_cmd_sync_clear(), whose cancel_work_sync() waits for hci_cmd_sync_work() to return. That worker dequeues and runs every entry on cmd_sync_work_list. With cmd_work disabled nothing reaches the controller, so each queued HCI command waits the full HCI_CMD_TIMEOUT (2s). The backlog has no bound. Userspace can keep queuing MGMT commands such as MGMT_OP_GET_CLOCK_INFO against a controller that doesn't answer. Closing /dev/vhci then blocks in vhci_release() for backlog * 2s: INFO: task syz-executor:5749 blocked for more than 143 seconds. cancel_work_sync hci_cmd_sync_clear hci_unregister_dev vhci_release In a local reproduction the backlog held more than 5000 entries, which comes to hours of hang. Stop the worker from taking new entries once HCI_UNREGISTER is set, and wake any request still waiting with -ENODEV before cancelling the work. The entries left over are destroyed with -ECANCELED by the existing sweep in hci_cmd_sync_clear(). They stay on the list until the work has stopped, so hci_cmd_sync_dequeue() and friends still see them. A callback already running may still issue another command, which delays unregister by at most one timeout per remaining command, not by the whole backlog.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update to a fixed kernel: 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 or 7.3, or the commit-level fixes for the affected 5.17 and later series. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9 and 10 or for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98809
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-h4f7-ppg7-73c7
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@b11acfcb5925ed27fae692b27931a1ac732677fb · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@b06d85b114cc5fa61809f9950bca66502e0e1173 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b06d85b114cc5fa61809f9950bca66502e0e1173
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b11acfcb5925ed27fae692b27931a1ac732677fb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/143bde97c4101ae68eb656c87e620c45b07a3090
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7f16443a30f4e86d84ae4faf057d333b41ddb757
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8ba8c9c74d1035042cdf6cb5adf8f59b9b1271c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1f24c1ab52345e810c42a1a81286cb5a7c92252
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98809 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98809 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-h4f7-ppg7-73c7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98809 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences