Bluetooth Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Affecting Socket Management

CVE-2026-74536

What is CVE-2026-74536?

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth functionality has been identified, related to improper management of socket references. The issue arises due to the iso_sock_kill function, which fails to release socket references correctly under specific conditions. This leads to a potential memory leak and can affect the performance and stability of the system. The vulnerability impacts various versions of the Linux kernel and specifically relates to socket management in Bluetooth communication. This flaw occurs when the socket is not properly released and cleaned up, thus causing lingering socket references that can lead to resource issues. A fix has been implemented by introducing a new flag, replacing the previous logic with safeguards to ensure socket cleanup is performed reliably.

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