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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-23461: Linux kernel · Bluetooth: L2CAP: Fix use-after-free in l2cap_unregister_user

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High · fixed in da3000cbe4851458a22be38bb18c0689c39fdd5f : patch Linux kernel soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:18 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
8.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 13% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CISA SSVC
Exploitation
No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable
Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact
Total control over the software or total information disclosure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.

Patch
Available – fixed in da3000cbe4851458a22be38bb18c0689c39fdd5f, c22a5e659959eb77c2fbb58a5adfaf3c3dab7abf, 71030f3b3015a412133a805ff47970cdcf30c2b8 +5
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 3 Apr 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • >=6.6.84 <6.6.130
  • >=6.12.20 <6.12.78
  • >=6.13.8 <6.14
Fixed in
  • da3000cbe4851458a22be38bb18c0689c39fdd5f
  • c22a5e659959eb77c2fbb58a5adfaf3c3dab7abf
  • 71030f3b3015a412133a805ff47970cdcf30c2b8
  • 752a6c9596dd25efd6978a73ff21f3b592668f4a
  • 11a87dd5df428a4b79a84d2790cac7f3c73f1f0d
  • 6.14
  • 6.12.78
  • 6.6.130
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =6.14
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Upgrading to Linux kernel versions 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.14, or later fixed releases containing the relevant commits is the recommended mitigation. Users should apply these official patches to ensure the vulnerability is resolved. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor advisory.

Description

CVE-2026-23461 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth L2CAP implementation. It arises from inconsistent locking in l2cap_register_user() and l2cap_unregister_user() functions, which do not use the same lock as l2cap_conn_del(), leading to race conditions and potential memory corruption. This flaw was fixed by ensuring consistent locking with conn->lock. The vulnerability affects multiple Linux kernel versions from 6.6.84 up to and including 6.14. A fix has been released in versions 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.14, and specific commits. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.

References

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