CVE-2026-31500

Kernel memory corruption via unlocked Bluetooth recovery

Published Apr 22, 2026 · Updated Apr 22, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's Intel Bluetooth driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory by racing error recovery with device closure. btintel_hw_error() runs synchronous HCI commands without hci_req_sync_lock, letting the close path free hdev->req_rsp while recovery still uses it. A local user must coincide Intel Bluetooth hardware-error recovery with HCI device closure; the resulting corruption can crash the system.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's Intel Bluetooth driver allows local users to corrupt kernel memory by racing error recovery with device closure. btintel_hw_error() runs synchronous HCI commands without hci_req_sync_lock, letting the close path free hdev->req_rsp while recovery still uses it. A local user must coincide Intel Bluetooth hardware-error recovery with HCI device closure; the resulting corruption can crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-31500
Published
Apr 22, 2026
Updated
Apr 22, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-416, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 22, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 22, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.3
  2. Affected versionversion=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <5f84e845648dfa86e42de5487f1a774b42f0444d
  3. Affected versionversion=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <66696648af477dc87859e5e4b607112f5f29d010
  4. Affected versionversion=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <94d8e6fe5d0818e9300e514e095a200bd5ff93ae
  5. Affected versionversion=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <e10a4cb72468686ffbe8bb2b0520e37f6be1a0c5
  6. Affected versionversion=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <f7d84737663ad4a120d2d8ef1561a4df91282c2e

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.3; version=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <5f84e845648dfa86e42de5487f1a774b42f0444d; version=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <66696648af477dc87859e5e4b607112f5f29d010; version=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <94d8e6fe5d0818e9300e514e095a200bd5ff93ae; version=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <e10a4cb72468686ffbe8bb2b0520e37f6be1a0c5; version=973bb97e5aee56edddaae3d5c96877101ad509c0 <f7d84737663ad4a120d2d8ef1561a4df91282c2e

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST National Vulnerability DatabaseCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-416Use After Free
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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