IRQ leak in Linux kernel mwifiex driver MSI-X error path
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: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel mwifiex wireless driver is affected from 4.6 before the fixed versions. When requesting an MSI-X interrupt fails, the cleanup loop frees the earlier vectors using the failed index's device identifier, so those interrupts are never released. The leaked interrupts remain registered and the kernel warns when freeing a non-existent IRQ.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path mwifiex_pcie_request_irq() registers each MSI-X vector with a per-index dev_id (&card->msix_ctx[i]). On a request_irq() failure the cleanup loop "for (j = 0; j < i; j++)" frees msix_entries[j].vector but passes the failed index's &card->msix_ctx[i] as the dev_id. free_irq() matches on (irq, dev_id), so it fails to find the action registered with &card->msix_ctx[j]: the already-requested IRQ j is not freed (leaked) and free_irq() warns about freeing a non-existent IRQ. Use &card->msix_ctx[j].
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
The Linux kernel is fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 are listed as affected with no fix plan available.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-01
- 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 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: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-14 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98426
- 2026-10-14 Alias added: GHSA-558r-qp8j-rr6r
- 2026-10-16 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-16 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-01 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11bc2cbb14f450eaa47cce9eb086f948ef8f4bcd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a60cb2292194cc9eafae7ca8a8a72d37ae78d97
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fcac5813f324cd07dfd36b4adf624fc70f7587d6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2761b21cb896b1da8dd46cee5084c9032b2d7098
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fd4cc87e6cc0839aac89c24ebe39ce262fe088f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0969c9688389f2e0f65b1a924b0dd6625a3bb776
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03d5e4776e8b71c2468c5c3c48b39202c87a8796
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3d722190cdef18da4878b5efc27c3c386dda248
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98426 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98426 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-558r-qp8j-rr6r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98426 · 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