CVE-2026-19738
The Bluetooth Link Layer Control Procedure (LLCP) implementation for Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) creation retains an RX node (ctx->node_ref.rx, marked NODE_RX_TYPE_RETAIN) so it can later be reused as the host notification — on the peripheral while awaiting the Host's reply to an LL_CIS_REQ, and on the central for the whole duration of a locally initiated CIS Create. In subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c, the "invalid PDU received" paths of llcp_rp_cc_rx() and llcp_lp_cc_rx() terminated the connection and completed the procedure without releasing that retained node, breaking the invariant checked in llcp_lr_check_done() and llcp_rr_check_done() and orphaning the node's memory.
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A peer device within radio range can reach this with a single extra LL Control PDU on an unauthenticated, unencrypted ACL link. Against a peripheral, the attacker sends a valid LL_CIS_REQ and then, before the Host replies, any unrelated LL Control PDU (for example LL_VERSION_IND), which ull_cp_rx() routes into the active remote procedure. Against a central performing a CIS Create, a malicious peripheral answers with LL_UNKNOWN_RSP for CIS_REQ, which is dispatched into the active local procedure. No pairing, encryption or user interaction is required; the code is compiled in when CONFIG_BT_CTLR_PERIPHERAL_ISO or CONFIG_BT_CTLR_CENTRAL_ISO is enabled.
In default builds (CONFIG_BT_CTLR_ASSERT_DEBUG is default y) the retained-node assertion fires immediately, producing a controller fatal error and, typically, a system reset from one injected PDU. With the development assertions disabled, each attempt permanently loses one node from the controller's small LL notification pool (LL_PDU_RX_CNT, 2 * CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLCP_CONN) together with its memq_link_t; repeating the connect-attack-reconnect cycle exhausts the pool, after which notification allocation always fails, RX flow control stalls, and the non-disableable LL_ASSERT_ERR() in llcp_lp_cc_flush() faults. The impact is limited to availability — the leaked node is orphaned, never reused or double-freed — and recovery requires a reboot.
CVSS
- Base score
- 6.5
- Version
- 3.1
- Vector
- CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
- 0.10 %
- Percentile among all scored CVEs
- 1
- Score date
- 10/21/2026
EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).
ATT&CK techniques
How this vulnerability is exploited and what the attacker gains, in MITRE ATT&CK terms.
- Exploitation
T1210Exploitation of Remote Serviceslateral movement92 % - Primary impact
T1499.004Application or System Exploitationimpact90 % - Secondary impact
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalationprivilege escalation35 %
AV:A (red adyacente) sin autenticación ni interacción → T1210. DoS por agotamiento de recursos (memory pool) tras inyectar PDUs; escalada a fatal error (reboot) en builds debug o stall RX en release.
Inferred by our analysis agent from the official description, CVSS vector and CWE, and checked by a supervisor. May contain errors.
ATT&CK mitigations that cover these techniques
Affected technologies (1)
⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.
CWEs
- CWE-401
References
Raw JSON (NVD)
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{
"id": "CVE-2026-19738",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {
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{
"source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
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"id": "CVE-2026-19738",
"role": "CISA Coordinator",
"options": [
{
"exploitation": "none"
},
{
"automatable": "no"
},
{
"technicalImpact": "partial"
}
],
"version": "2.0.3",
"timestamp": "2026-10-16T15:49:12.012353Z"
}
}
],
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"type": "Secondary",
"source": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org",
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"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"version": "3.1",
"baseScore": 6.5,
"attackVector": "ADJACENT_NETWORK",
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"privilegesRequired": "NONE",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE"
},
"impactScore": 3.6,
"exploitabilityScore": 2.8
}
]
},
"affected": [
{
"source": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org",
"affectedData": [
{
"vendor": "zephyrproject",
"product": "zephyr",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "3.4.0",
"lessThan": "4.5.0",
"versionType": "semver"
}
],
"packageName": "zephyr",
"programFiles": [
"subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c"
],
"collectionURL": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr",
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"programRoutines": [
{
"name": "llcp_lp_cc_rx"
},
{
"name": "llcp_rp_cc_rx"
}
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}
]
}
],
"published": "2026-10-11T18:16:59.050",
"references": [
{
"url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/fde17f2c3de0118f3796c2a83958ee4ce4b5efd6",
"source": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org"
},
{
"url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-6mcj-5jw8-ff36",
"source": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
"weaknesses": [
{
"type": "Secondary",
"source": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org",
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-401"
}
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}
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"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "The Bluetooth Link Layer Control Procedure (LLCP) implementation for Connected Isochronous Stream (CIS) creation retains an RX node (ctx->node_ref.rx, marked NODE_RX_TYPE_RETAIN) so it can later be reused as the host notification — on the peripheral while awaiting the Host's reply to an LL_CIS_REQ, and on the central for the whole duration of a locally initiated CIS Create. In subsys/bluetooth/controller/ll_sw/ull_llcp_cc.c, the \"invalid PDU received\" paths of llcp_rp_cc_rx() and llcp_lp_cc_rx() terminated the connection and completed the procedure without releasing that retained node, breaking the invariant checked in llcp_lr_check_done() and llcp_rr_check_done() and orphaning the node's memory.\n\nA peer device within radio range can reach this with a single extra LL Control PDU on an unauthenticated, unencrypted ACL link. Against a peripheral, the attacker sends a valid LL_CIS_REQ and then, before the Host replies, any unrelated LL Control PDU (for example LL_VERSION_IND), which ull_cp_rx() routes into the active remote procedure. Against a central performing a CIS Create, a malicious peripheral answers with LL_UNKNOWN_RSP for CIS_REQ, which is dispatched into the active local procedure. No pairing, encryption or user interaction is required; the code is compiled in when CONFIG_BT_CTLR_PERIPHERAL_ISO or CONFIG_BT_CTLR_CENTRAL_ISO is enabled.\n\nIn default builds (CONFIG_BT_CTLR_ASSERT_DEBUG is default y) the retained-node assertion fires immediately, producing a controller fatal error and, typically, a system reset from one injected PDU. With the development assertions disabled, each attempt permanently loses one node from the controller's small LL notification pool (LL_PDU_RX_CNT, 2 * CONFIG_BT_CTLR_LLCP_CONN) together with its memq_link_t; repeating the connect-attack-reconnect cycle exhausts the pool, after which notification allocation always fails, RX flow control stalls, and the non-disableable LL_ASSERT_ERR() in llcp_lp_cc_flush() faults. The impact is limited to availability — the leaked node is orphaned, never reused or double-freed — and recovery requires a reboot."
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-10-16T16:17:05.437",
"sourceIdentifier": "vulnerabilities@zephyrproject.org"
}