Linux Kernel up to 6.1.41/6.4.6 hci_event null pointer dereference

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6.2$0-$5k0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability described as critical has been identified in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.41/6.4.6. This affects the function hci_event. Executing a manipulation can lead to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2023-53673. No exploit exists. Upgrading the affected component is recommended.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.41/6.4.6. It has been declared as critical. This vulnerability affects the function hci_event. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. As an impact it is known to affect availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_event: call disconnect callback before deleting conn In hci_cs_disconnect, we do hci_conn_del even if disconnection failed. ISO, L2CAP and SCO connections refer to the hci_conn without hci_conn_get, so disconn_cfm must be called so they can clean up their conn, otherwise use-after-free occurs. ISO: ========================================================== iso_sock_connect:880: sk 00000000eabd6557 iso_connect_cis:356: 70:1a:b8:98:ff:a2 -> 28:3d:c2:4a:7e:da ... iso_conn_add:140: hcon 000000001696f1fd conn 00000000b6251073 hci_dev_put:1487: hci0 orig refcnt 17 __iso_chan_add:214: conn 00000000b6251073 iso_sock_clear_timer:117: sock 00000000eabd6557 state 3 ... hci_rx_work:4085: hci0 Event packet hci_event_packet:7601: hci0: event 0x0f hci_cmd_status_evt:4346: hci0: opcode 0x0406 hci_cs_disconnect:2760: hci0: status 0x0c hci_sent_cmd_data:3107: hci0 opcode 0x0406 hci_conn_del:1151: hci0 hcon 000000001696f1fd handle 2560 hci_conn_unlink:1102: hci0: hcon 000000001696f1fd hci_conn_drop:1451: hcon 00000000d8521aaf orig refcnt 2 hci_chan_list_flush:2780: hcon 000000001696f1fd hci_dev_put:1487: hci0 orig refcnt 21 hci_dev_put:1487: hci0 orig refcnt 20 hci_req_cmd_complete:3978: opcode 0x0406 status 0x0c ... <no iso_* activity on sk/conn> ... iso_sock_sendmsg:1098: sock 00000000dea5e2e0, sk 00000000eabd6557 BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000668 PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP PTI Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.2-1.fc38 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:iso_sock_sendmsg (net/bluetooth/iso.c:1112) bluetooth ========================================================== L2CAP: ================================================================== hci_cmd_status_evt:4359: hci0: opcode 0x0406 hci_cs_disconnect:2760: hci0: status 0x0c hci_sent_cmd_data:3085: hci0 opcode 0x0406 hci_conn_del:1151: hci0 hcon ffff88800c999000 handle 3585 hci_conn_unlink:1102: hci0: hcon ffff88800c999000 hci_chan_list_flush:2780: hcon ffff88800c999000 hci_chan_del:2761: hci0 hcon ffff88800c999000 chan ffff888018ddd280 ... BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in hci_send_acl+0x2d/0x540 [bluetooth] Read of size 8 at addr ffff888018ddd298 by task bluetoothd/1175 CPU: 0 PID: 1175 Comm: bluetoothd Tainted: G E 6.4.0-rc4+ #2 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.2-1.fc38 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x5b/0x90 print_report+0xcf/0x670 ? __virt_addr_valid+0xf8/0x180 ? hci_send_acl+0x2d/0x540 [bluetooth] kasan_report+0xa8/0xe0 ? hci_send_acl+0x2d/0x540 [bluetooth] hci_send_acl+0x2d/0x540 [bluetooth] ? __pfx___lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 l2cap_chan_send+0x1fd/0x1300 [bluetooth] ? l2cap_sock_sendmsg+0xf2/0x170 [bluetooth] ? __pfx_l2cap_chan_send+0x10/0x10 [bluetooth] ? lock_release+0x1d5/0x3c0 ? mark_held_locks+0x1a/0x90 l2cap_sock_sendmsg+0x100/0x170 [bluetooth] sock_write_iter+0x275/0x280 ? __pfx_sock_write_iter+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx___lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 do_iter_readv_writev+0x176/0x220 ? __pfx_do_iter_readv_writev+0x10/0x10 ? find_held_lock+0x83/0xa0 ? selinux_file_permission+0x13e/0x210 do_iter_write+0xda/0x340 vfs_writev+0x1b4/0x400 ? __pfx_vfs_writev+0x10/0x10 ? __seccomp_filter+0x112/0x750 ? populate_seccomp_data+0x182/0x220 ? __fget_light+0xdf/0x100 ? do_writev+0x19d/0x210 do_writev+0x19d/0x210 ? __pfx_do_writev+0x10/0x10 ? mark_held_locks+0x1a/0x90 do_syscall_64+0x60/0x90 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x149/0x210 ? do_syscall_64+0x6c/0x90 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0x149/0x210 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x72/0xdc RIP: 0033:0x7ff45cb23e64 Code: 15 d1 1f 0d 00 f7 d8 64 89 02 48 c7 c0 ff ff ff ff eb b8 0f 1f 00 f3 0f 1e fa 80 3d 9d a7 0d 00 00 74 13 b8 14 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 54 c3 0f 1f 00 48 83 ec 28 89 54 24 1c 48 89 RSP: 002b:00007fff21ae09b8 EFLAGS: 00000202 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000014 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: ---truncated---

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2023-53673 since 10/07/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 276915 (SUSE SLES15 Security Update : kernel (Live Patch 37 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP4) (SUSE-SU-2025:4230-1)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 6.1.42 or 6.4.7 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 59bd1e476bbc7bc6dff3c61bba787095a4839796/093a07052406b363b1b2ab489e17dbadaf3e509b/7f7cfcb6f0825652973b780f248603e23f16ee90 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 (276915), EUVD (EUVD-2025-31967) and CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2025-2229). VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.

Affected

  • Amazon Linux 2
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux
  • SUSE Linux
  • Oracle Linux
  • RESF Rocky Linux
  • Open Source Linux Kernel
  • IBM QRadar SIEM
  • Dell NetWorker

Productinfo

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Version

License

Website

CPE 2.3info

CPE 2.2info

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 6.3
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 6.2

VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 7.8
NVD Vector: 🔒

CVSSv2info

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

Exploitinginfo

Class: Null pointer dereference
CWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
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: 276915
Nessus Name: SUSE SLES15 Security Update : kernel (Live Patch 37 for SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 SP4) (SUSE-SU-2025:4230-1)

Threat Intelligenceinfo

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

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.1.42/6.4.7
Patch: 59bd1e476bbc7bc6dff3c61bba787095a4839796/093a07052406b363b1b2ab489e17dbadaf3e509b/7f7cfcb6f0825652973b780f248603e23f16ee90

Timelineinfo

10/07/2025 Advisory disclosed
10/07/2025 +0 days CVE reserved
10/07/2025 +0 days VulDB entry created
03/01/2026 +145 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2023-53673 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2023-53673
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-327472
EUVD: 🔒
CERT Bund: WID-SEC-2025-2229 - Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen

Entryinfo

Created: 10/07/2025 19:23
Updated: 03/01/2026 13:14
Changes: 10/07/2025 19:23 (58), 11/23/2025 03:34 (7), 11/27/2025 06:42 (2), 12/26/2025 00:48 (1), 02/03/2026 20:58 (12), 02/04/2026 05:47 (1), 03/01/2026 13:14 (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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