Unreleased channel context in Linux kernel mac80211 mesh join
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel mac80211 mesh code from 3.9 does not release the channel context when a mesh join fails to start. Removing the interface later tries to unassign that channel from the driver, which triggers a kernel warning.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: mesh: release the channel if start fails ieee80211_join_mesh() acquires a channel context and then calls ieee80211_start_mesh(), which can fail. In that case, the chanctx isn't released then interface removal will attempt to unassign it after it's removed from the driver, hitting: wlan0: Failed check-sdata-in-driver check, flags: 0x0 WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.c:366 at drv_unassign_vif_chanctx ieee80211_assign_link_chanctx __ieee80211_link_release_channel ieee80211_link_release_channel ieee80211_teardown_sdata unregister_netdevice_many_notify _cfg80211_unregister_wdev ieee80211_remove_interfaces ieee80211_unregister_hw mac80211_hwsim_del_radio hwsim_exit_net Correctly release the channel on start failures.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 or 7.3, depending on the branch in use. Red Hat rates this Low and lists its plan as none available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5, and as no fix planned for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3
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 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| 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 |
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98326
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-w5gr-5834-37pm
- 2026-10-09 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-09 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0afcec2129c166e61821d6ae097061155f01b12
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b51f5a310bd6888b90bb9546a8081215dcfe6fbe
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/632f7acfe6dac1278a9314eaaab14fada400ddaf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41bee71112db53651ba9a9030de1b843255a4a7f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a4e3fa77ea36d3419d806fb5883ef425a605a5d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ae97fff6495a8764bc0ef281cfe5444f701e527f
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98326 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98326 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-w5gr-5834-37pm · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98326 · 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