CVE-2026-53251
Received Received - Intake
Bluetooth ISO Reference Leak in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-06-25

Last updated on: 2026-06-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: ISO: Fix not releasing hdev reference on iso_conn_big_sync hci_get_route() returns a reference-counted hci_dev pointer via hci_dev_hold(). The function exits normally or with an error without ever releasing it.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-06-25
Last Modified
2026-06-25
Generated
2026-06-25
AI Q&A
2026-06-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-53251
EUVD
EUVD-2026-39202
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *
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Exploitability
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth ISO implementation. Specifically, the function hci_get_route() returns a reference-counted pointer to an hci_dev structure via hci_dev_hold(), but the function exits without releasing this reference. This means that the reference to the device is not properly released, which can lead to resource management issues.

Impact Analysis

Because the function does not release the reference it holds, this can cause resource leaks in the Bluetooth subsystem of the Linux kernel. Over time, such leaks may lead to increased memory usage or exhaustion of device references, potentially degrading system performance or causing instability.

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