CVE-2006-6898
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedWidcomm Bluetooth for Windows (BTW) before 4.0.1.1500 allows remote attackers to listen to and record conversations, aka the CarWhisperer attack.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceWidcomm Bluetooth for Windows (BTW) versions before 4.0.1.1500 contain a vulnerability allowing remote attackers to intercept and record audio conversations via the Bluetooth stack. This CarWhisperer attack exploits insufficient access controls in the Bluetooth audio gateway implementation, enabling unauthorized audio access without user consent.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 4.0.1.1500CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Authentication
- None
- Confidentiality
- Complete
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:C/I:N/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify Widcomm Bluetooth software is installedCheck Add/Remove Programs or program files directory for Broadcom or Widcomm Bluetooth software packages. Look for entries containing 'Widcomm', 'Broadcom Bluetooth', or 'BTW' in the installed software list.Affected if Widcomm Bluetooth for Windows is installed on the system
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Determine the installed Widcomm Bluetooth versionOpen the Bluetooth control panel or right-click the Bluetooth icon in the system tray and select 'Open Bluetooth Settings'. Look for version information typically found in 'About' or 'Version' sections within the Bluetooth software interface.Affected if The installed version is lower than 4.0.1.1500 (for example, 4.0.1.1400, 3.0.x, or 2.x releases)
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Confirm Bluetooth audio gateway functionality is accessibleCheck if the system has Bluetooth audio devices configured or if the Bluetooth audio gateway service is running. This can be verified through Windows Device Manager under Sound, video and game controllers, or by checking if Bluetooth A2DP or Hands-Free audio profiles are available.Affected if Bluetooth audio functionality is present and the system can accept Bluetooth audio connections
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Compare version against affected rangeDocument the exact version number found in step 2 and compare it against the affected range: versions before 4.0.1.1500 are vulnerable. Version 4.0.1.1500 itself is the patched release.Affected if The installed version is any release prior to 4.0.1.1500
A user is affected if Widcomm Bluetooth for Windows is installed with a version number lower than 4.0.1.1500 and Bluetooth audio functionality is accessible on the system.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade Widcomm Bluetooth for Windows to version 4.0.1.1500 or later to patch the audio interception vulnerability. For legacy systems that cannot be upgraded, disable Bluetooth when not in use and ensure pairing occurs only in secure environments.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2006-6898 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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