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CVE-2026-98704

Linux: wifi: mac80211: keep fallback association elements alive

Linux LinuxOperating systems
Open in ThreatlineRecord JSON
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 5% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in1d9644753d46c86b4e5c05bd6d9d35339ea27331Also 0878594c5806dd29fa5e16cc026ce19158afdad2CVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 21 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 1d9644753d46c86b4e5c05bd6d9d35339ea27331LinuxCVE List
  • 0878594c5806dd29fa5e16cc026ce19158afdad2LinuxCVE 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: mac80211: keep fallback association elements alive

Associating to a non-transmitted MBSSID profile reads freed memory while determining the operating channel and applying HT capabilities.

When an association response omits WMM, HT, or VHT information, ieee80211_assoc_config_link() parses the cached BSS IEs and copies the missing element pointers out of that fallback parse. For a non-transmitted MBSSID profile those pointers refer to merged-profile storage owned by the parse object, and the fallback block frees that object at its end. The copied pointers are used afterwards to determine the operating channel, configure bandwidth, and apply HT capabilities.

Keep the fallback parse result alive until association setup finishes.

[reorder variable declaration]

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 12

  • Linuxaffected: 5023b14cf4df4d22e1a80738167f3438c9e62e5f before de77b0f68142147e74fac1c497dbe1f93daeeed9CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5023b14cf4df4d22e1a80738167f3438c9e62e5f before 1d9644753d46c86b4e5c05bd6d9d35339ea27331CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5023b14cf4df4d22e1a80738167f3438c9e62e5f before d0183cd1f6a2dba9e63be20af2f65093c9c8d121CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5023b14cf4df4d22e1a80738167f3438c9e62e5f before 0878594c5806dd29fa5e16cc026ce19158afdad2CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5023b14cf4df4d22e1a80738167f3438c9e62e5f before a10a2f80476d166fd81c361ec0319493671b694eCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5.2CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 5.2CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.160 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.113 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.56 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.10 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 5