wifi: mac80211: validate extension-frame layout before RX
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Adjacent network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: validate extension-frame layout before RX Extension frames only have the extension header at the regular 802.11 header offset. The generic RX path can still reach helpers and interface dispatch code that read regular header address fields before unsupported extension subtypes are dropped. mac80211 currently only handles S1G beacon extension frames. Drop other extension subtypes before they can reach regular-header RX processing. For S1G beacons, linearize the SKB with the management-frame path and require the fixed S1G beacon header, including optional fixed fields indicated by frame control, before generic RX dispatch. Route S1G beacons through the station/default-link RX path without regular-header station lookup. Avoid regular-header address reads in the mac80211 RX paths that process S1G extension beacons, including accept-frame, duplicate-detection, address-copy, and MLO address-translation paths. Also make ieee80211_get_bssid() length-safe before returning the S1G source-address pointer.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
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 6.12.114, 6.18.57, 7.1.5, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-68470
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-f8c2-f7rp-8wp5
- 2026-10-16 Fix available: Linux/Linux@1c3d9c6bd5b795f3b952b40d574c8e424e14a39b, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-16 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
- 2026-10-16 Priority changed: LOW → MEDIUM
- 2026-10-20 Weakness changed · CISA ADP
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@7aba69b611007e11b9b93118ff8fe88998c3107f · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-23 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-23 CVSS score changed · Red Hat
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
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Sources
- CVE-2026-68470 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-68470 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-f8c2-f7rp-8wp5 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-68470 · 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