NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel Bluetooth RFCOMM shutdown
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel Bluetooth RFCOMM driver uses an RFCOMM tty device without checking that it was registered, so closing a tty opened during a failed device setup causes a NULL pointer dereference. A local user who can open an RFCOMM device such as /dev/rfcommN can crash the kernel. The flaw affects Linux kernel versions from 3.12 before the fixed releases.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: RFCOMM: Fix NULL tty_dev dereference in rfcomm_dev_shutdown syzbot hit a NULL pointer dereference in rfcomm_dev_shutdown() when an RFCOMM tty is closed. rfcomm_dev_add() puts the new device on rfcomm_dev_list first and only then registers the tty device and saves it in dev->tty_dev. If that registration fails, dev->tty_dev is never set at all. The device can be looked up in the meantime, so an open() of /dev/rfcommN gets through rfcomm_tty_install() and attaches to it. When that tty is closed again, rfcomm_dev_shutdown() uses dev->tty_dev without checking it: Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000040-0x0000000000000047] RIP: 0010:rfcomm_dev_shutdown+0x48/0xb0 net/bluetooth/rfcomm/tty.c:131 Call Trace: tty_port_shutdown+0x1bf/0x220 drivers/tty/tty_port.c:372 tty_port_close+0x4e/0x150 drivers/tty/tty_port.c:705 tty_release+0x359/0x1670 drivers/tty/tty_io.c:1718 __fput+0x418/0xa50 fs/file_table.c:512 rfcomm_dev_destruct() already copes with a NULL dev->tty_dev. Add the same check to rfcomm_dev_shutdown(), so the tty device is only moved when it was actually registered.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 3.12 and later | 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 3.12 and later Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3 Patch available CNA
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to a fixed stable release: 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 or 7.3. The sources list no fixed version for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 or Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99008
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-5xf6-vj9w-8fx6
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@3f6394f6c6d1b6817065d3b402f55d437063a704, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2b915042be073637d9f93dc51ef15fc0685ae8a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a43452d8c1015ac2f0e43ff946be5425427b02cc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f6394f6c6d1b6817065d3b402f55d437063a704
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5c372ad03330f02962d4860df4d355ab25487df
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3fd5164bdb04635caa7942ddb554b0ec699a9433
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a661f401f83b8462f2d424e0a1a72b7681e92ea2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0aef0b0374678153244f162df507106d728af39
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08e90633377f1b2567ab5ad6810b74c552246a07
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Sources
- CVE-2026-99008 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99008 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-5xf6-vj9w-8fx6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99008 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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