wifi: mac80211: free AP_VLAN bc_buf SKBs outside IRQ lock
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: free AP_VLAN bc_buf SKBs outside IRQ lock ieee80211_do_stop() removes AP_VLAN packets from the parent AP ps->bc_buf while holding ps->bc_buf.lock with IRQs disabled. It then calls ieee80211_free_txskb() before dropping the lock. ieee80211_free_txskb() is not just a passive SKB release. For SKBs with TX status state it can report a dropped frame through cfg80211/nl80211, and that path can reach netlink tap transmit. This is the same reason the pending queue cleanup in ieee80211_do_stop() already unlinks SKBs under the queue lock and frees them after IRQ state is restored. The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the order within that path: AP_VLAN management TX: AP_VLAN stop: 1. attach ACK-status state 1. clear the running state 2. queue a multicast SKB on 2. take ps->bc_buf.lock with IRQs parent ps->bc_buf disabled 3. unlink the AP_VLAN SKB 4. call ieee80211_free_txskb() Unlink matching AP_VLAN SKBs from ps->bc_buf under the existing lock, but move them to a local free queue. Drop the lock and restore IRQ state before calling ieee80211_free_txskb(). WARNING: kernel/softirq.c:430 at __local_bh_enable_ip
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.148, 6.12.101, 6.18.42, 7.1.6, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux for NVIDIA 26
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-68405
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-qx36-wgrc-gggh
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d2619e708e2ef02ba1c91642ea261d3f19d8f9a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/659a81b62a61440b85e02c09903be861ae7679e5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa01ef0ebbc3289154229ef58e65baf289eb9789
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be9dfcb0654c1f6c0fce7ba2a909683bb6f1e0ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/962f755a47d7ec3bbf6c709697d7f4c5f798441d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a424985c3ef2a87ce6057a853e18d0c441a86be8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4b8abf43bf34791c99d99dc3be13f897adefc461
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f3858d5b1432098c1936e03d6e03dd0e33facf60
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Sources
- CVE-2026-68405 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-68405 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-qx36-wgrc-gggh · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-68405 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences