CVE-2026-74509

Kernel memory corruption via advertising pointer race

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Use-after-free in the Linux Bluetooth advertising paths allows physically proximate attackers to corrupt kernel memory via BLE traffic. The hci_sync command paths look up adv_info without hdev->lock and retain the pointer across a controller wait, while a termination event can remove and free the same object. A nearby unauthenticated Bluetooth peer must race an actively advertising device; stale reads and writes can disclose kernel memory, execute code in the kernel, or crash the system.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Use-after-free in the Linux Bluetooth advertising paths allows physically proximate attackers to corrupt kernel memory via BLE traffic. The hci_sync command paths look up adv_info without hdev->lock and retain the pointer across a controller wait, while a termination event can remove and free the same object. A nearby unauthenticated Bluetooth peer must race an actively advertising device; stale reads and writes can disclose kernel memory, execute code in the kernel, or crash the system.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-74509
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-825, T1499
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 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=42fe380baaaccbe635c34ca07b29d19b9ec2498d
  2. Affected versionversion=5.15.210 <5.16
  3. Affected versionversion=5.17
  4. Affected versionversion=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <95cdcd8c82a501931fd3ae9b3811b0b6da167e94
  5. Affected versionversion=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <b16ebdbebd2d37f4cdc590bc3e9db71fe90350a3
  6. Affected versionversion=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <cdc36db204ffd97b947d64374cf23a210dc74777
  7. Affected versionversion=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <eb1d8318764de7216e6dbba29a24d69f7ce51348

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=42fe380baaaccbe635c34ca07b29d19b9ec2498d; version=5.15.210 <5.16; version=5.17; version=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <95cdcd8c82a501931fd3ae9b3811b0b6da167e94; version=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <b16ebdbebd2d37f4cdc590bc3e9db71fe90350a3; version=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <cdc36db204ffd97b947d64374cf23a210dc74777; version=cba6b758711cab946c787f7c15be92cc749b8e1f <eb1d8318764de7216e6dbba29a24d69f7ce51348

Published CVSS scores

8.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.8LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-825Expired Pointer Dereference
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo