ZephyrProject Zephyr up to 4.4.x LLCP ull_llcp_cc.c llcp_rp_cc_rx/llcp_lp_cc_rx allocation of resources

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability was found in ZephyrProject Zephyr up to 4.4.x. It has been declared as critical. This impacts the function llcp_rp_cc_rx/llcp_lp_cc_rx of the file subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c of the component LLCP. Such manipulation leads to allocation of resources. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2026-19738. The attack may be launched remotely. There is no exploit available. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in ZephyrProject Zephyr up to 4.4.x. It has been rated as critical. Affected by this issue is the function llcp_rp_cc_rx/llcp_lp_cc_rx of the file subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c of the component LLCP. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a allocation of resources vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-770. The product allocates a reusable resource or group of resources on behalf of an actor without imposing any restrictions on the size or number of resources that can be allocated, in violation of the intended security policy for that actor. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

The Bluetooth Link Layer Control Procedure (LLCP) implementation for Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) creation retains an RX node (ctx->node_ref.rx, marked NODE_RX_TYPE_RETAIN) so it can later be reused as the host notification — on the peripheral while awaiting the Host's reply to an LL_CIS_REQ, and on the central for the whole duration of a locally initiated CIS Create. In subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c, the "invalid PDU received" paths of llcp_rp_cc_rx() and llcp_lp_cc_rx() terminated the connection and completed the procedure without releasing that retained node, breaking the invariant checked in llcp_lr_check_done() and llcp_rr_check_done() and orphaning the node's memory. A peer device within radio range can reach this with a single extra LL Control PDU on an unauthenticated, unencrypted ACL link. Against a peripheral, the attacker sends a valid LL_CIS_REQ and then, before the Host replies, any unrelated LL Control PDU (for example LL_VERSION_IND), which ull_cp_rx() routes into the active remote procedure. Against a central performing a CIS Create, a malicious peripheral answers with LL_UNKNOWN_RSP for CIS_REQ, which is dispatched into the active local procedure. No pairing, encryption or user interaction is required; the code is compiled in when CONFIG_BT_CTLR_PERIPHERAL_ISO or CONFIG_BT_CTLR_CENTRAL_ISO is enabled. In default builds (CONFIG_BT_CTLR_ASSERT_DEBUG is default y) the retained-node assertion fires immediately, producing a controller fatal error and, typically, a system reset from one injected PDU. With the development assertions disabled, each attempt permanently loses one node from the controller's small LL notification pool (LL_PDU_RX_CNT, 2 * CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLCP_CONN) together with its memq_link_t; repeating the connect-attack-reconnect cycle exhausts the pool, after which notification allocation always fails, RX flow control stalls, and the non-disableable LL_ASSERT_ERR() in llcp_lp_cc_flush() faults. The impact is limited to availability — the leaked node is orphaned, never reused or double-freed — and recovery requires a reboot.

The advisory is shared for download at github.com. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2026-19738 since 08/13/2026. The exploitation is known to be easy. The attack may be launched remotely. No form of authentication is required for exploitation. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1499.

Upgrading to version 4.5.0 eliminates this vulnerability.

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Productinfo

Type

• Project Management Software

Vendor

• ZephyrProject

Name

• Zephyr

Version

• 4.0
• 4.1
• 4.2
• 4.3
• 4.4

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CPE 2.2info

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