CVE-2026-74303

Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel Bluetooth HCI QCA

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_qca: fix NULL pointer dereference in qca_dmp_hdr() for non-serdev device hu->serdev is NULL for hci_uart attached via non-serdev paths, but qca_dmp_hdr() unconditionally dereferences hu->serdev->dev.driver->name, causing a NULL pointer dereference. Fix by guarding the dereference with a NULL check and falling back to "hci_ldisc_qca" for the non-serdev case.

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-74303

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59450

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth subsystem. It occurs in the qca_dmp_hdr() function when hci_uart is attached via non-serdev paths. The function tries to access hu->serdev->dev.driver->name without checking if hu->serdev is NULL first, leading to a crash.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's Bluetooth subsystem and may not have direct network detection methods. Check kernel logs for NULL pointer dereference errors related to hci_qca or Bluetooth modules using commands like 'dmesg | grep -i hci_qca' or 'journalctl -k | grep -i hci_qca'.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause system crashes or instability when Bluetooth functionality is used on affected Linux systems. It specifically affects systems using Qualcomm Atheros Bluetooth chips with non-serdev configurations.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a low-level Linux kernel issue involving a NULL pointer dereference in Bluetooth functionality. Compliance impacts would only occur if this vulnerability were exploited to cause system instability or unauthorized access, which is not indicated in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution and apply them promptly. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling Bluetooth functionality temporarily as a workaround.

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