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Vulnerability · Published Dec 24, 2025 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2023-54038Bluetooth: hci_conn: return ERR_PTR instead of NULL when there is no link

Unrated

In plain English

A security flaw in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 8% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS )–Not rated
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 92.3% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsnot in CISA KEV
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_conn: return ERR_PTR instead of NULL when there is no link hci_connect_sco currently returns NULL when there is no link (i.e. when hci_conn_link() returns NULL). sco_connect() expects an ERR_PTR in case of any error (see line 266 in sco.c). Thus, hcon set as NULL passes through to sco_conn_add(), which tries to get hcon->hdev, resulting in dereferencing a NULL pointer as reported by syzkaller. The same issue exists for iso_connect_cis() calling hci_connect_cis(). Thus, make hci_connect_sco() and hci_connect_cis() return ERR_PTR instead of NULL.

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian:13linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54038
Debian:14linux6.4.11-1DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.11no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.8no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oracle-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.14no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.5no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2023-54038

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 06149746e7203d5ffe2d6faf9799ee36203aa8b8 – before 357ab53c83a5322437fa434e9a9e3e0bafe6b38306149746e7203d5ffe2d6faf9799ee36203aa8b8 – before b4066eb04bb67e7ff66e5aaab0db4a753f37eaadf72fc94a17d45be98aecfd59c39b5b24a6a342e26.3.8 – before 6.4
Linux Linux 6.4

References