CVE-2026-13213: zephyr NULL Pointer Dereference (CVSS 5.3)

Description

The Hearing Access Service (HAS) GATT server in subsys/bluetooth/audio/has.c installs a connection-callback set unconditionally via BT_CONN_CB_DEFINE, so security_changed() runs for every connection that establishes security even before the application has called bt_has_register(). The service attribute pointers hearing_aid_features_attr, preset_control_point_attr, and active_preset_index_attr remain NULL until bt_has_register() resolves them and sets has.registered. With CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS, settings_set_cb() restores each bonded client's persisted context at boot and unconditionally sets context->flags to BONDED_CLIENT_INIT_FLAGS (non-zero). When a previously bonded peer reconnects and re-establishes security during the startup window before bt_has_register() has been called, security_changed() sees the non-zero flags and schedules notify_work_handler, which calls bt_gatt_is_subscribed() with a still-NULL attribute pointer. That triggers an assertion (__ASSERT(attr, ...) in bt_gatt_is_subscribed()), or a NULL dereference of attr->uuid when assertions are compiled out. The result is a remotely triggerable (Bluetooth, adjacent) crash of the HAS peripheral. Exploitation requires the peer to have previously bonded with the device and to reconnect within the boot-time race window before the application registers the service; a peer that reconnects persistently can prolong the outage. Impact is denial of service only, with no memory corruption or information disclosure. The fix adds an early if (!has.registered) { return; } guard in security_changed(), so no notification work is scheduled until the GATT service is registered and its attribute pointers are valid.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.3/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability

0.17%

6.5th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-476

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
zephyrproject	zephyr	>= 3.6.0, < 4.4.2

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 24, 2026
Last Modified: Aug 26, 2026
Status: Awaiting Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-13213?

The Hearing Access Service (HAS) GATT server in subsys/bluetooth/audio/has.c installs a connection-callback set unconditionally via BT_CONN_CB_DEFINE, so security_changed() runs for every connection that establishes security even before the application has called bt_has_register(). The service attribute pointers hearing_aid_features_attr, preset_control_point_attr, and active_preset_index_attr remain NULL until bt_has_register() resolves them and sets has.registered. With CONFIG_BT_SETTINGS, settings_set_cb() restores each bonded client's persisted context at boot and unconditionally sets context->flags to BONDED_CLIENT_INIT_FLAGS (non-zero). When a previously bonded peer reconnects and re-establishes security during the startup window before bt_has_register() has been called, security_changed() sees the non-zero flags and schedules notify_work_handler, which calls bt_gatt_is_subscribed() with a still-NULL attribute pointer. That triggers an assertion (__ASSERT(attr, ...) in bt_gatt_is_subscribed()), or a NULL dereference of attr->uuid when assertions are compiled out. The result is a remotely triggerable (Bluetooth, adjacent) crash of the HAS peripheral. Exploitation requires the peer to have previously bonded with the device and to reconnect within the boot-time race window before the application registers the service; a peer that reconnects persistently can prolong the outage. Impact is denial of service only, with no memory corruption or information disclosure. The fix adds an early if (!has.registered) { return; } guard in security_changed(), so no notification work is scheduled until the GATT service is registered and its attribute pointers are valid.

How severe is CVE-2026-13213?

CVE-2026-13213 has a CVSS score of 5.3/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.17% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-13213?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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