High [CVE-2026-53073] Clear HCI_UART_PROTO_INIT on error
This high-severity Red Hat Linux advisory covers CVE-2026-53073 affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat package: kernel-rt.
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Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: hci_ldisc: Clear HCI_UART_PROTO_INIT on error When hci_register_dev() fails in hci_uart_register_dev() HCI_UART_PROTO_INIT is not cleared before calling hu->proto->close(hu) and setting hu->hdev to NULL.
This means incoming UART data will reach the protocol-specific recv handler in hci_uart_tty_receive() after resources are freed. The write lock ensures all active readers have completed and no new reader can enter the protocol recv path before resources are freed.
This allows the protocol-specific recv functions to remove the "HCI_UART_REGISTERED" guard without risking a null pointer dereference if hci_register_dev() fails. A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Bluetooth Host Controller Interface (HCI) Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) driver.
When the `hci_register_dev()` function fails, a flag indicating protocol initialization is not properly cleared. This oversight allows incoming UART data to be processed by the protocol-specific receive handler after its associated resources have been released, potentially leading to a null pointer dereference.
This vulnerability could result in a system crash, causing a Denial of Service (DoS). Red Hat severity: Moderate — CVSS 7 (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Weakness: CWE-825.
Affected versions
No affected-version range was extracted from the source record. The vendor advisory is authoritative — check it before change work.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 9 days ago·verify at source
Fixed versions
No fixed release is recorded yet. That does not prove no patch exists — confirm against the vendor advisory.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 9 days ago·verify at source
Mitigation
The source record does not include mitigation steps. That is not a statement that no fix exists — read the vendor advisory below for the authoritative guidance.
Official advisory · medium-confidence parse· fetched 9 days ago·verify at source
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