All vulnerabilities
CVE-2026-93805

Linux: wifi: cfg80211: validate rx/tx MLME callback frame lengths before access

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.17%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 6% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in6eb4bd50be53f5afbabb3a3b5153276e08fa7a4aAlso 6bdf4dcff98df634e04ebf99f52027a48d7f78ff, 0ec738a0d361d7eb37188117166d201f9df622d3 and 1 moreCVE List
Published24 Sep 2026Updated 3 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 6eb4bd50be53f5afbabb3a3b5153276e08fa7a4aLinuxCVE List
  • 6bdf4dcff98df634e04ebf99f52027a48d7f78ffLinuxCVE List
  • 0ec738a0d361d7eb37188117166d201f9df622d3LinuxCVE List
  • 8f4127a93cf60d561ad39849a9ac763ba0e14db5LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: cfg80211: validate rx/tx MLME callback frame lengths before access

cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt() and cfg80211_tx_mlme_mgmt() call tracepoints before rejecting frames shorter than the frame-control field. After that, they only require len >= 2 before dispatching into subtype handlers that assume their fixed fields are present.

The frames that trip this are not shorter than 2 bytes; they are short relative to their subtype. mwifiex is a concrete in-tree example on the length side: mwifiex_process_mgmt_packet() only requires a 4-address ieee80211_hdr plus the 2-byte firmware length prefix before handing the frame to cfg80211_rx_mlme_mgmt(). After stripping the length prefix and removing addr4, pkt_len can be exactly 24: a bare 3-address management header with no reason-code body. The existing WARN_ON(len < 2) does not fire on such a frame, and cfg80211_process_deauth() then reads u.deauth.reason_code as a two-byte access starting at offset 24, immediately past the 24-byte buffer.

Add a frame-control length gate, then validate each subtype's minimum frame size in an if/else-if chain that mirrors the dispatch logic. Trace only after the frame is known to be well-formed.

Side effects of this change:

  • The WARN_ON(len < 2) is dropped. It only guarded the frame_control

read, never the subtype fixed fields, and it does not fire on the frames that actually trigger the out-of-bounds read (which are >= 2). The len >= 2 check is kept as the guard before dereferencing frame_control, but without the warning: these are exported callbacks and a malformed frame from a driver should be dropped silently rather than backtraced.

  • cfg80211_tx_mlme_mgmt() previously routed every non-deauth subtype

through disassociation handling; it now silently ignores unrecognised subtypes.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 14

  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before 6eb4bd50be53f5afbabb3a3b5153276e08fa7a4aCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before ce2a3be6909462f49c34de96be71f0ad5f0d573fCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before 6bdf4dcff98df634e04ebf99f52027a48d7f78ffCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before 0ec738a0d361d7eb37188117166d201f9df622d3CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before 8f4127a93cf60d561ad39849a9ac763ba0e14db5CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6829c878ecd24ff0ae41b4668c7e9d0f11b66942 before d5e4586546974179feca305a94e07fac3e9727feCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 2.6.32CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 2.6.32CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.15.222 through 5.15.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.1.189 through 6.1.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.158 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.111 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.53 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2CVE List

References 6