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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-64178

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-19
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 or later.
See remediation →
93/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
No privileges Zero-click 4 weeks old

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 · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: bnep: Fix UAF read of dev->name bnep_add_connection() needs to keep holding the bnep_session_sem while reading dev->name (just like bnep_get_connlist() does); otherwise the bnep_session() thread can concurrently free the net_device, which can for example be triggered by a concurrent bnep_del_connection(). (This UAF is fairly uninteresting from a security perspective; calling bnep_add_connection() requires passing a capable(CAP_NET_ADMIN) check. It also requires completely tearing down a netdev during a fairly tight race window.)

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 confidence

Use-after-free vulnerability in Linux kernel's Bluetooth BNEP (Bluetooth Network Encapsulation Protocol) driver. The bnep_add_connection() function reads dev->name without holding the required bnep_session_sem semaphore, allowing concurrent bnep_session() thread to free the net_device via bnep_del_connection(), leading to UAF read.

MitigationApply the Linux kernel patch that ensures bnep_session_sem is held while reading dev->name in bnep_add_connection(). This is a kernel code fix requiring rebuild of the affected kernel/module.

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
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 2.6.12.1, < 5.10.258>= 5.11, < 5.15.209>= 5.16, < 6.1.175>= 6.2, < 6.6.142>= 6.7, < 6.12.92>= 6.13, < 6.18.34>= 6.19, < 7.0.11= 2.6.12= 7.1

CVSS 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
Adjacent
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check if Linux kernel is in use
    Run 'uname -r' to identify the kernel version
    Affected if Kernel version falls within the vulnerable range before the fix was applied
  2. Verify Bluetooth BNEP support is present
    Check for bnep module with 'lsmod | grep bnep' or verify CONFIG_BNEP in kernel config at /boot/config-$(uname -r)
    Affected if CONFIG_BNEP is enabled or the bnep module is loaded
  3. Determine if BNEP connections are active
    Run 'btmon --raw' or check /sys/class/bluetooth/ for PANU connections; also inspect 'rfcomm' and 'bnep' entries in /proc/net/bluetooth/
    Affected if Any BNEP (Bluetooth PAN) connections are active, triggering the vulnerable bnep_add_connection() code path
  4. Inspect bnep_add_connection source for the fix
    Check if the kernel source at net/bluetooth/bnep/core.c holds bnep_session_sem before accessing dev->name in bnep_add_connection()
    Affected if The semaphore lock is not held around dev->name access, indicating the vulnerable code is present
  5. Review bnep_session for concurrent bnep_del_connection
    Verify the race condition window exists where bnep_session() can call bnep_del_connection() while bnep_add_connection() reads dev->name without locking
    Affected if bnep_del_connection() can free net_device concurrently without the semaphore protecting dev->name access in bnep_add_connection()

A user is affected if running a Linux kernel with Bluetooth BNEP enabled, active BNEP connections, and the specific vulnerable code where bnep_session_sem is not held during dev->name access in bnep_add_connection().

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.10.258 / 5.15.209 / 6.1.175 or later
Fixed in 5.10.2585.15.2096.1.175
Interim mitigation

Apply the Linux kernel patch that ensures bnep_session_sem is held while reading dev->name in bnep_add_connection(). This is a kernel code fix requiring rebuild of the affected kernel/module.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,440
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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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-64178 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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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