CVE-2026-53252

Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev()

Published Jun 25, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev()

Early failures in Bluetooth HCI UART configuration leak SRCU percpu
memory.

When device initialization fails before hci_register_dev() completes,
the HCI_UNREGISTER flag is never set. As a result, when the device
reference count reaches zero, bt_host_release() evaluates this flag as
false and falls back to a direct kfree(hdev).

Because hci_release_dev() is bypassed, the SRCU struct initialized
early in hci_alloc_dev() is never cleaned up, resulting in a leak of
percpu memory.

Fix the leak by explicitly calling cleanup_srcu_struct() in the
fallback (unregistered) branch of bt_host_release() before freeing
the device.

Affected Products

Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).

Vendor Product Default status Versions

Linux

unaffected

Version	Status	Constraints
`90dee0a0ff84fac8accd5be98412b3819f667149`	affected	< 5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd
`c56b177efce8b62798e4d96bdb9867106cb7c4a0`	affected	< c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa
`bc0819a25e04cd68ef3568cfa51b63118fea39a7`	affected	< 0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184
`ce23b73f0f27e2dbeb81734a79db710f05aa33c6`	affected	< bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309
`1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e`	affected	< ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889
`1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e`	affected	< f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81
`1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e`	affected	< 37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f
`dd4becd3fd4102696e1c15e6d260a1712a2d8685`	affected	—
`0e5c144c557df910ab64d9c25d06399a9a735e65`	affected	—
`5.15.209`	affected	< 5.15.210
`6.1.167`	affected	< 6.1.176
`6.6.97`	affected	< 6.6.143
`6.12.36`	affected	< 6.12.94
`5.10.259`	affected	< 5.11
`6.15.5`	affected	< 6.16

Linux

affected

Version	Status	Constraints
`6.16`	affected	—
`0`	unaffected	< 6.16
`5.15.210`	unaffected	≤ 5.15.*
`6.1.176`	unaffected	≤ 6.1.*
`6.6.143`	unaffected	≤ 6.6.*
`6.12.94`	unaffected	≤ 6.12.*
`6.18.36`	unaffected	≤ 6.18.*
`7.0.13`	unaffected	≤ 7.0.*
`7.1`	unaffected	≤ *

Configuration 1 [-]

OR	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.15.209:::::::*
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:-::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc4::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc5::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc6::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.16:rc7::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc1::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc2::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc3::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc4::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc5::::::
	cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.1:rc6::::::

No data.

Vendor Product Versions

Linux

Linux Kernel

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`[90dee0a0ff84fac8accd5be98412b3819f667149,5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[c56b177efce8b62798e4d96bdb9867106cb7c4a0,c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[bc0819a25e04cd68ef3568cfa51b63118fea39a7,0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[ce23b73f0f27e2dbeb81734a79db710f05aa33c6,bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e,ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e,f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81)`	affected	code_commit	—
`[1d6123102e9fbedc8d25bf4731da6d513173e49e,37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f)`	affected	code_commit	—
`dd4becd3fd4102696e1c15e6d260a1712a2d8685`	affected	code_commit	—
`0e5c144c557df910ab64d9c25d06399a9a735e65`	affected	code_commit	—
`[5.15.209,5.15.210)`	affected	semver	—
`[6.1.167,6.1.176)`	affected	semver	—
`[6.6.97,6.6.143)`	affected	semver	—
`[6.12.36,6.12.94)`	affected	semver	—
`[5.10.259,5.11)`	affected	generic	—
`[6.15.5,6.16)`	affected	generic	—

Linux

Linux Kernel

Version	Status	Scheme	Platform
`6.16`	affected	generic	—
`[0,6.16)`	unaffected	generic	—
`[5.15.210,5.15.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[6.1.176,6.1.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[6.6.143,6.6.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[6.12.94,6.12.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[6.18.36,6.18.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[7.0.13,7.0.*]`	unaffected	generic	—
`[7.1,*]`	unaffected	generic	—

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Advisories

Source	ID	Title
Debian DLA	DLA-4665-1	linux security update
Debian DLA	DLA-4671-1	linux-6.1 security update
Ubuntu USN	USN-8726-1	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8727-1	Linux kernel (OEM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8728-1	Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8760-1	Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8726-2	Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8726-3	Linux kernel (IBM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8800-1	Linux kernel (NVIDIA BaseOS) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8760-2	Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8726-4	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8728-2	Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8728-3	Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8876-1	Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8875-1	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8877-1	Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8878-1	Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8879-1	Linux kernel (Oracle) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8903-1	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8904-1	Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8905-1	Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8906-1	Linux kernel (IBM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8875-2	Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8903-2	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-8905-2	Linux kernel (GCP) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-9002-1	Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-9025-1	Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-9029-1	Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN	USN-9066-1	Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities

Metrics

No CVSS v4.0

Attack Vector Local

Attack Complexity Low

Privileges Required Low

Scope Unchanged

Confidentiality Impact None

Integrity Impact None

Availability Impact High

User Interaction None

No CVSS v3.0

No CVSS v2

This CVE is not in the KEV list.

Exploit prediction score: < 1% (0.130% probability within 30 days)

Exploitation none

Automatable no

Technical Impact partial

References

Link	Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81
https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026062514-CVE-2026-53252-4306@gregkh/T
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53252
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53252

History

Nov 7, 2026 7:30 AM Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Metrics		ssvc `{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}`

Jun 26, 2026 3:15 PM Weaknesses updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Weaknesses	CWE-687

Jun 26, 2026 12:15 PM Weaknesses updated. Added references. Scoring metrics updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Weaknesses		CWE-911
References		https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026062514-CVE-2026-53252-4306@gregkh/T https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53252 https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53252
Metrics	threat_severity `None`	cvssV3_1 `{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}` threat_severity `Low`

Jun 25, 2026 12:30 PM Weaknesses updated View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Weaknesses		CWE-687

Jun 25, 2026 9:15 AM Description updated. Title updated. First appearance in the feed. Affected versions updated. Affected vendors updated. Added references View changes

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
Description		In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev() Early failures in Bluetooth HCI UART configuration leak SRCU percpu memory. When device initialization fails before hci_register_dev() completes, the HCI_UNREGISTER flag is never set. As a result, when the device reference count reaches zero, bt_host_release() evaluates this flag as false and falls back to a direct kfree(hdev). Because hci_release_dev() is bypassed, the SRCU struct initialized early in hci_alloc_dev() is never cleaned up, resulting in a leak of percpu memory. Fix the leak by explicitly calling cleanup_srcu_struct() in the fallback (unregistered) branch of bt_host_release() before freeing the device.
Title		Bluetooth: fix memory leak in error path of hci_alloc_dev()
First Time appeared		Linux Linux linux Kernel
CPEs		cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel::::::::
Vendors & Products		Linux Linux linux Kernel
References		https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0622e527a31d4b44737fed5c1a2ac1fc2cfb5184 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37b3009bf5976e8ab77c8b9a9bc3bbd7ff49e37f https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b7dfca6f852e6b9d809fd0263b5427cc9fb33fd https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bc2efe73c194a74839d7cf57b63880d97e21d309 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c016118b9e51eeaf5bc93850d4c455a3b583c0aa https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ce4b4cac3c5749b6aa75e62e2991ae2263f2f889 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f82799407a50af7bcacacf09cc9b279af8fe9b81