CVE-2026-90252: Bluetooth: MGMT: free the HCI command when it is cancelled

Severity: unknown
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-17 · updated 2026-10-19

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: MGMT: free the HCI command when it is cancelled mgmt_hci_cmd_sync() queues the pending command with a NULL destroy callback, so it is only freed if send_hci_cmd_sync() runs. A cancelled entry is leaked, as _hci_cmd_sync_cancel_entry() does not release entry->data when there is no destroy callback, and hci_cmd_sync_clear() cancels every pending entry when the controller is unregistered. Nothing else reclaims it either: mgmt_pending_new() does not put the command on hdev->mgmt_pending. The leak also pins the socket reference taken by mgmt_pending_new(), so the mgmt socket is never released. Free the command from a destroy callback. The now-empty done label is replaced by a direct return.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 6.13 — fixed in 7.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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