Memory leak in Linux kernel virt_wifi transmit path
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The virt_wifi simulated wireless driver in the Linux kernel leaks memory. When the simulated link is disconnected, its transmit function returns a drop status without freeing the packet buffer, so every packet sent while disconnected leaks its skb.
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: virt_wifi: free skb when disconnected When the simulated link is disconnected, virt_wifi_start_xmit() returns NET_XMIT_DROP without freeing the skb. dev_hard_start_xmit() treats this return value as consumed, so every packet sent while disconnected leaks its skb. Free the skb before returning the drop status.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update to a fixed Linux kernel release for your branch: 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 or 7.3.
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 →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98351
- 2026-10-06 Alias added: GHSA-g85q-82h3-fmh4
- 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/38d3a5df85345f158f78b478b265ca906224454e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee053ea35c759135460f03d1c574f4ed08de844a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d177eca79e1106834bc423d3969a4a2e3987996a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/36727a702cf8e3399e3da60d0856378f6afcfb34
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/56469996c10a0240653fc00576b4d33bdfb4cc51
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4f266738af45675faa0e8afee08c6e780afa8b06
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/46371442847a725cc0df3697fea2eba1dd54b82b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9edf7cf63b96d2b776fca8d258d3c5256e40c8e
More Linux vulnerabilities
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- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-98351 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98351 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-g85q-82h3-fmh4 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98351 · 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