Linux kernel cfg80211 wrongly groups hidden BSSes without beacons
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
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- 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 wifi cfg80211 subsystem, from 3.9, is affected. When a probe response arrives for an unknown BSS, the code can group it with an existing hidden-SSID entry that was itself a probe response, which breaks the grouping rules. When a later frame with a hidden SSID arrives for that BSSID, the kernel hits WARN_ON_ONCE checks and logs warnings. No exploitation is reported.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: only group hidden BSSes with beacon entries When a probe response for an unknown BSS comes in, __cfg80211_bss_update() looks for an existing entry with the same BSSID and a hidden (zero-length or NUL-filled) SSID, and if it finds one it groups them, using the beacon IEs from the existing entry. But that could find another entry without a beacon, if it was also from a probe response (with SSID), so there's a group without beacon elements. If a beacon with a hidden SSID for that BSSID arrives later, cfg80211_combine_bsses() goes looking for the probe response entries that belong to it - i.e. entries with the same BSSID and channel that have no beacon IEs - and finds those two. They are already grouped with each other, so it hits its WARN_ON_ONCE(bss->pub.hidden_beacon_bss) WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&bss->hidden_list)) which are there because an entry without beacon elements is not supposed to be part of a group yet. Only combine entries when a beacon was already received, ones that are kept separate will be combined when a beacon arrives.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 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 Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9, 10 and OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 have no fix available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. 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-2026-98340
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-84vw-9582-fhpx
- 2026-10-11 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-11 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4cd6a518ce7527284bbc9baab5fa2453a7d477c2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74ed0d992f392c75e1969415527e06df3f7a4034
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3658093df69849daf4f813a8f087f358e13be203
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/73365b81630b57e1a1f9d50dc87281797855c2ac
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7405dd19bda4537a2843637d8d7bed1efd4776cf
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/86235be788094131912e9bd8412b358d91d99f49
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/332ea1502c46f53375cb109fa82bfaff818f3a41
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/068843ed0902c552a13860c5ec6b2ca65b57a065
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98340 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98340 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-84vw-9582-fhpx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98340 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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