Linux Kernel up to 6.6.159/6.12.112/6.18.56/7.2.10 Bluetooth create_monitor_ctrl_open null pointer dereference

CVSS Meta Temp Score CVSS is a standardized scoring system to determine possibilities of attacks. The Temp Score considers temporal factors like disclosure, exploit and countermeasures. The unique Meta Score calculates the average score of different sources to provide a normalized scoring system.	Current Exploit Price (≈) Our analysts are monitoring exploit markets and are in contact with vulnerability brokers. The range indicates the observed or calculated exploit price to be seen on exploit markets. A good indicator to understand the monetary effort required for and the popularity of an attack.	CTI Interest Score Our Cyber Threat Intelligence team is monitoring different web sites, mailing lists, exploit markets and social media networks. The CTI Interest Score identifies the interest of attackers and the security community for this specific vulnerability in real-time. A high score indicates an elevated risk to be targeted for this vulnerability.
9.5	$0-$5k	0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.159/6.12.112/6.18.56/7.2.10. This issue affects the function create_monitor_ctrl_open of the component Bluetooth. The manipulation results in null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-99015. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. No exploit is available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as very critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.159/6.12.112/6.18.56/7.2.10. Affected is the function create_monitor_ctrl_open of the component Bluetooth. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as 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. This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_sock: Serialize dead-device detachment Rebinding an HCI socket after its controller is unregistered can race monitor control replay and crash the kernel. hci_sock_bind() clears hci_pi(sk)->hdev and drops the device reference under only the socket lock, whereas send_monitor_control_replay() holds hci_sk_list.lock for reading. Replay can observe a non-NULL hdev, then bind can clear it and drop the last reference before create_monitor_ctrl_open() reads hdev->id. This can cause a NULL pointer dereference if the pointer is reloaded, or a use-after-free if the old pointer is retained. The kernel reported: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000068-0x000000000000006f] RIP: 0010:create_monitor_ctrl_open+0x579/0x800 Call Trace: hci_sock_bind+0xd96/0x1190 __sys_bind+0x166/0x200 __x64_sys_bind+0x6d/0xb0 do_syscall_64+0xdd/0x4a0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f The same missing serialization lets hci_send_to_sock() select a socket for the old device and queue its frame after bind has detached the socket or installed a new binding. Take hci_sk_list.lock for writing when clearing the device pointer and resetting the socket state. This waits for existing replay and delivery readers to finish before detachment and prevents later readers from using the old binding. Keep hci_dev_put() outside the critical section because the final device release can sleep.

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2026-99015 since 09/25/2026. The exploitability is told to be easy. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. 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 10/23/2026).

Upgrading to version 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57 or 7.2.11 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 37cef0c8fb537f40600910d2c2e5f2d5509305f3/76f2e2665697340ac719e7ff1bf148dd014e55c1/c3d2799877906d0c8392d96e14216cd82b020330/e660a22402944f2615a16fde7129a3c497537329/381a0925c556a8d91a80a9b9e3e86651d60ffee3 is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.6.159
• 6.12.112
• 6.18.0
• 6.18.1
• 6.18.2
• 6.18.3
• 6.18.4
• 6.18.5
• 6.18.6
• 6.18.7
• 6.18.8
• 6.18.9
• 6.18.10
• 6.18.11
• 6.18.12
• 6.18.13
• 6.18.14
• 6.18.15
• 6.18.16
• 6.18.17
• 6.18.18
• 6.18.19
• 6.18.20
• 6.18.21
• 6.18.22
• 6.18.23
• 6.18.24
• 6.18.25
• 6.18.26
• 6.18.27
• 6.18.28
• 6.18.29
• 6.18.30
• 6.18.31
• 6.18.32
• 6.18.33
• 6.18.34
• 6.18.35
• 6.18.36
• 6.18.37
• 6.18.38
• 6.18.39
• 6.18.40
• 6.18.41
• 6.18.42
• 6.18.43
• 6.18.44
• 6.18.45
• 6.18.46
• 6.18.47
• 6.18.48
• 6.18.49
• 6.18.50
• 6.18.51
• 6.18.52
• 6.18.53
• 6.18.54
• 6.18.55
• 6.18.56
• 7.2.0
• 7.2.1
• 7.2.2
• 7.2.3
• 7.2.4
• 7.2.5
• 7.2.6
• 7.2.7
• 7.2.8
• 7.2.9
• 7.2.10

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 9.9
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 9.5

VulDB Base Score: 9.9
VulDB Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AV	AC	Au	C	I	A
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳

Vector	Complexity	Authentication	Confidentiality	Integrity	Availability
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

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

Exploitinginfo

Class: Null pointer dereference
CWE: CWE-476 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

0-Day	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Today	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

Threat Intelligenceinfo

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

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.6.160/6.12.113/6.18.57/7.2.11
Patch: 37cef0c8fb537f40600910d2c2e5f2d5509305f3/76f2e2665697340ac719e7ff1bf148dd014e55c1/c3d2799877906d0c8392d96e14216cd82b020330/e660a22402944f2615a16fde7129a3c497537329/381a0925c556a8d91a80a9b9e3e86651d60ffee3

Timelineinfo

09/25/2026 CVE reserved
10/23/2026 +28 days Advisory disclosed
10/23/2026 +0 days VulDB entry created
10/23/2026 +0 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2026-99015 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-99015
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-425880

Entryinfo

Created: 10/23/2026 15:47
Changes: 10/23/2026 15:47 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

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