CVE-2026-98738

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: Serialize SMP remote OOB data access build_pairing_cmd() looks up remote OOB data and copies its contents without holding hdev->lock, which serializes the list's writers. After SMP finds an entry, a concurrent management Remove Remote OOB Data command can unlink and free it before SMP reads its present flag or copies its random and confirmation values. Removal can also invalidate an entry while the lookup is still traversing the list. KASAN reported: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in build_pairing_cmd+0x948/0x9b0 Call Trace: build_pairing_cmd+0x948/0x9b0 smp_recv_cb+0x459f/0x8110 l2cap_recv_frame+0xf14/0x9190 l2cap_recv_acldata+0xa64/0xd40 hci_rx_work+0x4ca/0x730 Allocated by task 87: hci_add_remote_oob_data+0x11d/0x530 add_remote_oob_data+0x282/0x400 hci_sock_sendmsg+0x1033/0x1ea0 Freed by task 93: hci_remote_oob_data_clear+0x108/0x1c0 remove_remote_oob_data+0x198/0x220 hci_sock_sendmsg+0x1033/0x1ea0 Taking hdev->lock in build_pairing_cmd() would recurse for callers that already hold it and invert the device-to-L2CAP lock order on the receive path. Add a per-device remote_oob_lock instead, held across the SMP lookup and copies and by the add, remove and clear helpers. Cover initialization and in-place updates as well, so SMP cannot read partially initialized or updated OOB values. Release the mutex on allocation failure, preserving the existing error return. The new critical sections acquire no device, connection or channel locks. Writers retain their existing hdev->lock protection, which continues to serialize the other readers without changing their locking or behavior.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-10-18
Last modified 2026-10-18
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.19 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.19
Fixed in
✓ 6.12.113 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.56 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.10 7.2.x ✓ 7.3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98738?

    CVE-2026-98738 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.19 onward and has been patched in 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and others. CVE-2026-98738 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98738?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98738 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.19 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-98738 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98738 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.