CVE-2024-26889 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth subsystem, specifically within the hci_core component. The issue arises from a potential buffer overflow caused by improper handling of the hci_dev_info structure's name field. This structure contains a fixed-size array name[8], but the vulnerable code uses strcpy to copy the device name (hdev->name) into this field without verifying its length. If the source name exceeds 8 bytes, strcpy will write beyond the buffer boundary, leading to a buffer overflow. This can corrupt adjacent memory, potentially causing system instability or crashes. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-120 (Classic Buffer Overflow), indicating a common memory safety issue. The fix involves replacing strcpy with strscpy, a safer string copy function that limits the number of bytes copied to the destination buffer size, thus preventing overflow. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges (AV:L/PR:L), does not require user interaction (UI:N), and affects availability (A:H) but not confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date (April 17, 2024). The affected versions correspond to various Linux kernel commits prior to the patch. This vulnerability is relevant to any Linux system utilizing Bluetooth functionality, including desktops, servers, and embedded devices running vulnerable kernel versions.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-26889 primarily concerns system availability and stability. Exploitation could lead to denial of service (DoS) conditions by crashing the kernel or causing unpredictable behavior in systems relying on Bluetooth. While confidentiality and integrity are not directly impacted, disruption of critical services or infrastructure could have operational consequences. Organizations with extensive use of Linux-based systems that integrate Bluetooth—such as manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and telecommunications sectors—may experience interruptions. Additionally, embedded Linux devices in IoT deployments common in smart city initiatives or industrial control systems could be affected, potentially impacting critical infrastructure. Since exploitation requires local access with low privileges, the threat vector is limited to insiders or attackers who have already compromised a system to some extent. However, given the widespread deployment of Linux in European enterprises and public sector environments, unpatched systems could be vulnerable to accidental or intentional disruption, affecting business continuity and service availability.

European organizations should prioritize patching affected Linux kernel versions to incorporate the fix replacing strcpy with strscpy in the Bluetooth hci_core component. System administrators must verify kernel versions and apply vendor-supplied updates or compile updated kernels where necessary. For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, disabling Bluetooth functionality on critical systems can mitigate risk by removing the attack surface. Network segmentation and strict access controls should be enforced to limit local access to systems with Bluetooth enabled, reducing the likelihood of exploitation by unauthorized users. Monitoring system logs for unusual Bluetooth-related errors or kernel crashes can provide early detection of exploitation attempts. Additionally, organizations should audit and restrict user privileges to minimize the number of accounts with local access. For embedded devices, coordination with hardware vendors to obtain patched firmware or kernel updates is essential. Finally, integrating this vulnerability into vulnerability management and incident response workflows will ensure timely remediation and response.