Vulnerability in Linux
CVE-2026-31498
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Bluetooth: L2CAP: Fix ERTM re-init and zero pdu_len infinite loop l2cap_config_req() processes CONFIG_REQ for channels in BT_CONNECTED state to support L2CAP reconfiguration (e.g. MTU changes). However, since both CONF_INPUT_DONE and CONF_OUTPUT_DONE are already set from the initial configuration, the reconfiguration path falls through to l2cap_ertm_init(), which re-initializes tx_q, srej_q, srej_list, and retrans_list without freeing the previous allocations and sets chan->sdu to NULL without freeing the existing skb. This leaks all previously allocated ERTM resources. Additionally, l2cap_parse_conf_req() does not validate the minimum value of remote_mps derived from the RFC max_pdu_size option. A zero value propagates to l2cap_segment_sdu() where pdu_len becomes zero, causing the while loop to never terminate since len is never decremented, exhausting all available memory. Fix the double-init by skipping l2cap_ertm_init() and l2cap_chan_ready() when the channel is already in BT_CONNECTED state, while still allowing the reconfiguration parameters to be updated through l2cap_parse_conf_req(). Also add a pdu_len zero check in l2cap_segment_sdu() as a safeguard.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 5.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.002 (4.8th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 5th percentile — 4.8% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.002 · change: +0.000
Affected products
- Linux — versions 5.15.203, b7d0ca715c1008acd2fc018f02a56fed88f78b75, 4.4.238
- Linux Kernel — versions 5.7, 7.0
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-31498?
- CVE-2026-31498 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop). CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2026-04-22.
- How severe is CVE-2026-31498?
- Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.