Local hang via Bluetooth command backlog draining
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Denial of service in Linux Bluetooth allows local users to hang controller teardown by queuing commands to an unresponsive controller. The hci_cmd_sync_work() worker drains an unbounded backlog after hci_unregister_dev() disables command execution, making each queued command wait two seconds. The documented trigger requires access to Bluetooth management operations and /dev/vhci; closing that device then blocks teardown for hours with a sufficiently large backlog.
Summary
What happened
Denial of service in Linux Bluetooth allows local users to hang controller teardown by queuing commands to an unresponsive controller. The hci_cmd_sync_work() worker drains an unbounded backlog after hci_unregister_dev() disables command execution, making each queued command wait two seconds. The documented trigger requires access to Bluetooth management operations and /dev/vhci; closing that device then blocks teardown for hours with a sufficiently large backlog.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98809
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=008ee9eb8a11bcabf12c91771dd4f470b082bd44 <143bde97c4101ae68eb656c87e620c45b07a3090
- Affected versionversion=008ee9eb8a11bcabf12c91771dd4f470b082bd44 <7f16443a30f4e86d84ae4faf057d333b41ddb757
- Affected versionversion=008ee9eb8a11bcabf12c91771dd4f470b082bd44 <b1f24c1ab52345e810c42a1a81286cb5a7c92252
- Affected versionversion=008ee9eb8a11bcabf12c91771dd4f470b082bd44 <e8ba8c9c74d1035042cdf6cb5adf8f59b9b1271c
- Affected versionversion=5.17
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Linked syzkaller virtual-HCI reproducerproof of concept · unverified
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Technologies
Your stack
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