Bluetooth: hci_conn: return ERR_PTR instead of NULL when there is no link

{
  "id": "3c0ebcc7722dfe510d0aed79f1459a6084f4f9b617a6ffb48f34652519648d9a",
  "url": "https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-54038",
  "method": "structured",
  "payload": {
    "kind": "advisory",
    "title": "Bluetooth: hci_conn: return ERR_PTR instead of NULL when there is no link",
    "summary": "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.",
    "evidence": "osv:CVE-2023-54038",
    "products": [
      {
        "name": {
          "value": "Kernel",
          "evidence": "/affected/1/package/name"
        },
        "prerequisites": [],
        "fixed_versions": [
          {
            "value": "6.4.7",
            "evidence": "/affected/1/ranges"
          }
        ],
        "affected_versions": []
      }
    ],
    "severity": "unknown",
    "structured": {
      "id": "CVE-2023-54038",
      "aliases": [
        "CVE-2023-54038"
      ],
      "affected": [
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "06149746e7203d5ffe2d6faf9799ee36203aa8b8"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "357ab53c83a5322437fa434e9a9e3e0bafe6b383"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "b4066eb04bb67e7ff66e5aaab0db4a753f37eaad"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.3.8"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.4"
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
              "type": "GIT",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "f72fc94a17d45be98aecfd59c39b5b24a6a342e2"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "versions": [
            "v6.3.13",
            "v6.3.12",
            "v6.3.11",
            "v6.3.10",
            "v6.3.9",
            "v6.3.8"
          ],
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-54038.json"
          }
        },
        {
          "ranges": [
            {
              "type": "ECOSYSTEM",
              "events": [
                {
                  "introduced": "6.4.0"
                },
                {
                  "fixed": "6.4.7"
                }
              ]
            }
          ],
          "package": {
            "name": "Kernel",
            "ecosystem": "Linux"
          },
          "database_specific": {
            "source": "https://storage.googleapis.com/cve-osv-conversion/osv-output/CVE-2023-54038.json"
          }
        }
      ],
      "modified": "2026-10-08T02:48:35.549599848Z",
      "provider": "osv",
      "references": [
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/357ab53c83a5322437fa434e9a9e3e0bafe6b383",
        "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4066eb04bb67e7ff66e5aaab0db4a753f37eaad",
        "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/54xxx/CVE-2023-54038.json",
        "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-54038",
        "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
      ],
      "provider_metadata": {
        "cna_assigner": "Linux",
        "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2023/54xxx/CVE-2023-54038.json"
      }
    },
    "related_cves": [
      {
        "value": "CVE-2023-54038",
        "evidence": "/id"
      }
    ],
    "security_relevant": true,
    "severity_evidence": null
  },
  "source_id": "core-osv",
  "document_id": 98286,
  "published_at": "2025-12-24T10:56:04.623+00:00"
}