Linux Kernel up to 6.16-rc1 Bluetooth mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete use after free

CVSS Meta Temp Score
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CTI Interest Score
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7.7$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability categorized as critical has been discovered in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.141/6.6.93/6.12.33/6.15.2/6.16-rc1. The affected element is the function mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete of the component Bluetooth. Such manipulation leads to use after free. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-38118. No exploit exists. It is advisable to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.141/6.6.93/6.12.33/6.15.2/6.16-rc1 and classified as critical. Affected by this issue is the function mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete of the component Bluetooth. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a use after free vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-416. Referencing memory after it has been freed can cause a program to crash, use unexpected values, or execute code. Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: MGMT: Fix UAF on mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete This reworks MGMT_OP_REMOVE_ADV_MONITOR to not use mgmt_pending_add to avoid crashes like bellow: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete+0xe5/0x540 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:5406 Read of size 8 at addr ffff88801c53f318 by task kworker/u5:5/5341 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5341 Comm: kworker/u5:5 Not tainted 6.15.0-syzkaller-10402-g4cb6c8af8591 #0 PREEMPT(full) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2~bpo12+1 04/01/2014 Workqueue: hci0 hci_cmd_sync_work Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x189/0x250 lib/dump_stack.c:120 print_address_description mm/kasan/report.c:408 [inline] print_report+0xd2/0x2b0 mm/kasan/report.c:521 kasan_report+0x118/0x150 mm/kasan/report.c:634 mgmt_remove_adv_monitor_complete+0xe5/0x540 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:5406 hci_cmd_sync_work+0x261/0x3a0 net/bluetooth/hci_sync.c:334 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3238 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xade/0x17b0 kernel/workqueue.c:3321 worker_thread+0x8a0/0xda0 kernel/workqueue.c:3402 kthread+0x711/0x8a0 kernel/kthread.c:464 ret_from_fork+0x3fc/0x770 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:148 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245 </TASK> Allocated by task 5987: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:68 poison_kmalloc_redzone mm/kasan/common.c:377 [inline] __kasan_kmalloc+0x93/0xb0 mm/kasan/common.c:394 kasan_kmalloc include/linux/kasan.h:260 [inline] __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x230/0x3d0 mm/slub.c:4358 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:905 [inline] kzalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:1039 [inline] mgmt_pending_new+0x65/0x240 net/bluetooth/mgmt_util.c:252 mgmt_pending_add+0x34/0x120 net/bluetooth/mgmt_util.c:279 remove_adv_monitor+0x103/0x1b0 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:5454 hci_mgmt_cmd+0x9c9/0xef0 net/bluetooth/hci_sock.c:1719 hci_sock_sendmsg+0x6ca/0xef0 net/bluetooth/hci_sock.c:1839 sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:712 [inline] __sock_sendmsg+0x219/0x270 net/socket.c:727 sock_write_iter+0x258/0x330 net/socket.c:1131 new_sync_write fs/read_write.c:593 [inline] vfs_write+0x548/0xa90 fs/read_write.c:686 ksys_write+0x145/0x250 fs/read_write.c:738 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f Freed by task 5989: kasan_save_stack mm/kasan/common.c:47 [inline] kasan_save_track+0x3e/0x80 mm/kasan/common.c:68 kasan_save_free_info+0x46/0x50 mm/kasan/generic.c:576 poison_slab_object mm/kasan/common.c:247 [inline] __kasan_slab_free+0x62/0x70 mm/kasan/common.c:264 kasan_slab_free include/linux/kasan.h:233 [inline] slab_free_hook mm/slub.c:2380 [inline] slab_free mm/slub.c:4642 [inline] kfree+0x18e/0x440 mm/slub.c:4841 mgmt_pending_foreach+0xc9/0x120 net/bluetooth/mgmt_util.c:242 mgmt_index_removed+0x10d/0x2f0 net/bluetooth/mgmt.c:9366 hci_sock_bind+0xbe9/0x1000 net/bluetooth/hci_sock.c:1314 __sys_bind_socket net/socket.c:1810 [inline] __sys_bind+0x2c3/0x3e0 net/socket.c:1841 __do_sys_bind net/socket.c:1846 [inline] __se_sys_bind net/socket.c:1844 [inline] __x64_sys_bind+0x7a/0x90 net/socket.c:1844 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xfa/0x3b0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2025-38118 since 04/16/2025. The exploitation is known to be easy. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 04/18/2026).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 249177 (Debian dsa-5973 : affs-modules-6.1.0-37-4kc-malta-di - security update), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.142, 6.6.94, 6.12.34, 6.15.3 or 6.16-rc2 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 3c9aba9cbdf163e2654be9f82d43ff8a04273962/9f66b6531c2b4e996bb61720ee94adb4b2e8d1be/9df3e5e7f7e4653fd9802878cedc36defc5ef42d/32aa2fbe319f33b0318ec6f4fceb63879771a286/e6ed54e86aae9e4f7286ce8d5c73780f91b48d1c is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the databases at Tenable (249177), EUVD (EUVD-2025-19825) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-1452). VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.

Affected

  • Google Container-Optimized OS
  • Debian Linux
  • Amazon Linux 2
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • Ubuntu Linux
  • SUSE Linux
  • Oracle Linux
  • IBM QRadar SIEM
  • SUSE openSUSE
  • RESF Rocky Linux
  • Dell Avamar
  • Open Source Linux Kernel
  • Dell NetWorker
  • Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

Vendor

Name

Version

License

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 7.9
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 7.7

VulDB Base Score: 8.0
VulDB Temp Score: 7.6
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 7.8
NVD Vector: 🔒

CVSSv2info

AVACAuCIA
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💳💳💳💳💳💳
💳💳💳💳💳💳
VectorComplexityAuthenticationConfidentialityIntegrityAvailability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Use after free
CWE: CWE-416 / CWE-119
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

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Nessus ID: 249177
Nessus Name: Debian dsa-5973 : affs-modules-6.1.0-37-4kc-malta-di - security update

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.1.142/6.6.94/6.12.34/6.15.3/6.16-rc2
Patch: 3c9aba9cbdf163e2654be9f82d43ff8a04273962/9f66b6531c2b4e996bb61720ee94adb4b2e8d1be/9df3e5e7f7e4653fd9802878cedc36defc5ef42d/32aa2fbe319f33b0318ec6f4fceb63879771a286/e6ed54e86aae9e4f7286ce8d5c73780f91b48d1c

Timelineinfo

04/16/2025 CVE reserved
07/03/2025 +78 days Advisory disclosed
07/03/2025 +0 days VulDB entry created
04/18/2026 +288 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2025-38118 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2025-38118
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-314672
EUVD: 🔒
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2025-1452 - Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Entryinfo

Created: 07/03/2025 11:36
Updated: 04/18/2026 00:34
Changes: 07/03/2025 11:36 (59), 07/03/2025 14:51 (1), 08/13/2025 09:29 (2), 08/23/2025 16:30 (7), 09/21/2025 18:46 (1), 11/09/2025 14:00 (1), 12/06/2025 06:33 (1), 12/18/2025 01:39 (13), 04/18/2026 00:34 (1)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.

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