CVE-2026-46186 — Bluetooth: virtio_bt: validate rx pkt_type header length
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: virtio_bt: validate rx pkt_type header length virtbt_rx_handle() reads the leading pkt_type byte from the RX skb and forwards the remainder to hci_recv_frame() for every event/ACL/SCO/ISO type, without checking that the remaining payload is at least the fixed HCI header for that type. After the preceding patch bounds the backend-supplied used.len to [1, VIRTBT_RX_BUF_SIZE], a one-byte completion still reaches hci_recv_frame() with skb->len already pulled to 0. If the byte happened to be HCI_ACLDATA_PKT, the ACL-vs-ISO classification fast-path in hci_dev_classify_pkt_type() dereferences hci_acl_hdr(skb)->handle whenever the HCI device has an active CIS_LINK, BIS_LINK, or PA_LINK connection, reading two bytes of uninitialized RX-buffer data. The same hazard exists for every packet type the driver accepts because none of the switch cases in virtbt_rx_handle() check skb->len against the per-type minimum HCI header size before handing the frame to the core. After stripping pkt_type, require skb->len to cover the fixed header size for the selected type (event 2, ACL 4, SCO 3, ISO 4) before calling hci_recv_frame(); drop ratelimited otherwise. Unknown pkt_type values still take the original kfree_skb() default path. Use bt_dev_err_ratelimited() because both the length and pkt_type values come from an untrusted backend that can otherwise flood the kernel log.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
- Technical severity (medium)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
- Documented patch — git.kernel.org (NIST National Vulnerability Database)
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux, Linux Linux Kernel).
- Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (memory corruption), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux |
version 6.1≥ 6.0.8 and < 6.1≥ 5.15.78 and < 5.15.209version 9b67438e315b925a699f0178f4a48baf3d2d6ef4≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < daf23014e5d975e72ea9c02b5160d3fcf070ea47≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < f743eab6486965f276c7e3f1700895f014fdc6db≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < 3485c7236c59c8c34a41af1c4b52982437554e79≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < 2c1143564c71e7497b42d8360a8379ccbb011d3c and 3 more≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < 1e1e509b6fd2a42421745bbcd98bd16daad20904≥ 160fbcf3bfb93c3c086427f9f4c8bc70f217e9be and < 7b2d4c04816cdc887f472caaf7fc966cfc107e40≥ cf2719a21fdb9d4c8e9c834d279163609bef575d and < 149cfb42ad69c7964fd9f2c43831da9152007129 |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
| Linux | Linux Kernel |
version 7.1-rc1version 7.1-rc2≥ 5.15.78 and < 5.15.209version 6.1-rc8version 6.1-rc7version 6.1-rc6version 6.1-rc5version 6.1-rc4 and 7 moreversion 6.1≥ 6.19 and < 7.0.7≥ 6.13 and < 6.18.30≥ 6.7 and < 6.12.88≥ 6.2 and < 6.6.140≥ 6.1.1 and < 6.1.175≥ 6.0.8 and < 6.1 |
Vulnerable | NIST National Vulnerability Database |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | CVSS 3.1 | Medium | 1.8 | 3.6 | nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.16%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.
- Correlate service crashes/restarts with inbound traffic; repeated crashes may indicate attempts.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Fix documented
- CVSS changed · 5.5
- Source status changed · → Analyzed
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
7 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3485c7236c59c8c34a41af1c4b52982437554e79
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f743eab6486965f276c7e3f1700895f014fdc6db
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/daf23014e5d975e72ea9c02b5160d3fcf070ea47
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/149cfb42ad69c7964fd9f2c43831da9152007129
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1e1e509b6fd2a42421745bbcd98bd16daad20904
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c1143564c71e7497b42d8360a8379ccbb011d3c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7b2d4c04816cdc887f472caaf7fc966cfc107e40
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-46186 is "Bluetooth: virtio_bt: validate rx pkt_type header length", rated Medium. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 5.5 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.16% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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