CVE-2026-11368: use-after-free in zephyrproject zephyr
The Bluetooth host ATT layer (subsys/bluetooth/host/att.c) associates each in-flight ATT TX buffer with its owning channel via the static tx_meta_data_storage[] array (data->att_chan = chan). When a buffer's last reference is dropped, its net-buf destroy callback defers the completion handling to the system workqueue (att_tx_destroy -> att_tx_destroy_work_handler -> att_on_sent_cb -> bt_att_sent), where bt_att_sent dereferences the channel and its ATT context (sys_slist_get(&att->reqs)). When a peer disconnects while an ATT PDU (a server notification/indication or any response) is still in flight in the controller TX path, L2CAP tears the channel down in l2cap_chan_del(): it runs the disconnected callback and then the released callback (bt_att_released), which frees the channel slab slot. Because the in-flight buffer is held by the connection TX path rather than the channel's own queue, its deferred destroy work can run after the channel has been freed. The att_on_sent_cb guard intended to drop the stale callback itself dereferences meta->att_chan, which is now a dangling pointer into a freed (and possibly reused) slab slot. A remote peer with an ATT connection can drive this by disconnecting during routine ATT traffic; no pairing or user interaction is required to reach the ATT bearer. The result is a use-after-free read/write of freed channel memory, reliably crashing the Bluetooth host (denial of service) and, because the channel slab slot may be reused, potentially corrupting live memory. The fix makes bt_att_released() NULL the att_chan field of every tx_meta_data_storage[] entry still referencing the channel before freeing it, so the deferred guard observes a NULL pointer and drops the callback. Teardown and the destroy work both run on the cooperative system workqueue, so the array update is serialized and needs no lock.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
The vulnerability exists in the Bluetooth host ATT layer of Zephyr (subsys/bluetooth/host/att.c) where in-flight ATT TX buffers are associated with their owning channel via a static array. When a peer disconnects while an ATT PDU is in flight, the channel is freed but the deferred destroy callback may still run and dereference a dangling pointer to the freed channel memory. This use-after-free can cause a denial of service by crashing the Bluetooth host and may corrupt live memory if the freed slab slot is reused. The flaw can be triggered by a remote peer disconnecting during routine ATT traffic without requiring pairing or user interaction. The intended fix nullifies the channel pointer in the metadata before freeing the channel to prevent stale callbacks from dereferencing freed memory.
Potential Impact
A remote attacker with an ATT connection can cause a use-after-free condition leading to denial of service by crashing the Bluetooth host. Additionally, there is potential for memory corruption if the freed channel memory is reused, which could impact system stability or security. No confidentiality impact is indicated. The vulnerability requires network access via Bluetooth ATT and no privileges or user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. The described fix involves nullifying the channel pointer in the metadata before freeing the channel to prevent use-after-free callbacks. Until an official fix is available, consider limiting exposure to untrusted Bluetooth peers or disabling ATT traffic if feasible.
CVE-2026-11368: use-after-free in zephyrproject zephyr
Description
The Bluetooth host ATT layer (subsys/bluetooth/host/att.c) associates each in-flight ATT TX buffer with its owning channel via the static tx_meta_data_storage[] array (data->att_chan = chan). When a buffer's last reference is dropped, its net-buf destroy callback defers the completion handling to the system workqueue (att_tx_destroy -> att_tx_destroy_work_handler -> att_on_sent_cb -> bt_att_sent), where bt_att_sent dereferences the channel and its ATT context (sys_slist_get(&att->reqs)). When a peer disconnects while an ATT PDU (a server notification/indication or any response) is still in flight in the controller TX path, L2CAP tears the channel down in l2cap_chan_del(): it runs the disconnected callback and then the released callback (bt_att_released), which frees the channel slab slot. Because the in-flight buffer is held by the connection TX path rather than the channel's own queue, its deferred destroy work can run after the channel has been freed. The att_on_sent_cb guard intended to drop the stale callback itself dereferences meta->att_chan, which is now a dangling pointer into a freed (and possibly reused) slab slot. A remote peer with an ATT connection can drive this by disconnecting during routine ATT traffic; no pairing or user interaction is required to reach the ATT bearer. The result is a use-after-free read/write of freed channel memory, reliably crashing the Bluetooth host (denial of service) and, because the channel slab slot may be reused, potentially corrupting live memory. The fix makes bt_att_released() NULL the att_chan field of every tx_meta_data_storage[] entry still referencing the channel before freeing it, so the deferred guard observes a NULL pointer and drops the callback. Teardown and the destroy work both run on the cooperative system workqueue, so the array update is serialized and needs no lock.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.1high
Affected software
zephyrproject
zephyr
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AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
The vulnerability exists in the Bluetooth host ATT layer of Zephyr (subsys/bluetooth/host/att.c) where in-flight ATT TX buffers are associated with their owning channel via a static array. When a peer disconnects while an ATT PDU is in flight, the channel is freed but the deferred destroy callback may still run and dereference a dangling pointer to the freed channel memory. This use-after-free can cause a denial of service by crashing the Bluetooth host and may corrupt live memory if the freed slab slot is reused. The flaw can be triggered by a remote peer disconnecting during routine ATT traffic without requiring pairing or user interaction. The intended fix nullifies the channel pointer in the metadata before freeing the channel to prevent stale callbacks from dereferencing freed memory.
Potential Impact
A remote attacker with an ATT connection can cause a use-after-free condition leading to denial of service by crashing the Bluetooth host. Additionally, there is potential for memory corruption if the freed channel memory is reused, which could impact system stability or security. No confidentiality impact is indicated. The vulnerability requires network access via Bluetooth ATT and no privileges or user interaction.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. The described fix involves nullifying the channel pointer in the metadata before freeing the channel to prevent use-after-free callbacks. Until an official fix is available, consider limiting exposure to untrusted Bluetooth peers or disabling ATT traffic if feasible.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- zephyr
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-05T12:00:57.310Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 6a71fdb5bf8831d539fad992
Added to database: 08/04/2026, 14:56:53 UTC
Last enriched: 08/11/2026, 18:10:14 UTC
Last updated: 09/17/2026, 22:01:32 UTC
Views: 41
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