CVE-2026-23151
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth Management (MGMT) component. This vulnerability, a memory leak, allows a local user with elevated privileges to cause the kernel to consume an increasing amount of memory. The issue stems from mgmt_pending_cmd structures not being properly released after certain Bluetooth operations. Over time, this can lead to system instability, resource exhaustion, and ultimately a denial of service, making the system unavailable.
Statement
A memory leak in the Bluetooth MGMT command completion path occurs because mgmt_pending_cmd objects are removed from the pending list but are not freed in both the success and error paths of set_ssp_complete. This results in leaked pending command structures and their associated parameter buffers for each completed SSP command. The same pattern also affects set_advertising_complete. Over time, repeated management operations can cause unbounded kernel memory growth and lead to resource exhaustion or degraded system stability. For the CVSS the PR:L choice is appropriate because triggering these completions typically requires access to Bluetooth management interfaces, which is commonly restricted to privileged users or processes with elevated capabilities. The primary impact is availability through memory pressure.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 6.1 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | Low | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | None | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | N/A |
| Confidentiality | Low | None | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | None | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | High | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (Other); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
An attacker that can influence the allocation of resources that are not properly released could deplete the available resource pool and prevent all other processes from accessing the same type of resource. Frequently-affected resources include memory, CPU, disk space, power or battery, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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