Use-after-free in Linux kernel mac80211 association handling
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: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel mac80211 Wi-Fi stack is affected from 5.2 before the fixed releases listed below. When an association response omits WMM, HT or VHT information, the kernel frees a parsed fallback result that is still in use, so it reads freed memory while selecting the operating channel and applying HT capabilities. Associating to a non-transmitted MBSSID profile triggers the flaw.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: keep fallback association elements alive Associating to a non-transmitted MBSSID profile reads freed memory while determining the operating channel and applying HT capabilities. When an association response omits WMM, HT, or VHT information, ieee80211_assoc_config_link() parses the cached BSS IEs and copies the missing element pointers out of that fallback parse. For a non-transmitted MBSSID profile those pointers refer to merged-profile storage owned by the parse object, and the fallback block frees that object at its end. The copied pointers are used afterwards to determine the operating channel, configure bandwidth, and apply HT capabilities. Keep the fallback parse result alive until association setup finishes. [reorder variable declaration]
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Fixed Linux kernel versions are 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 have no fix available, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 has no fix planned.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 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 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: 3 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98704
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-vrf9-cxgg-qw6c
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@de77b0f68142147e74fac1c497dbe1f93daeeed9 · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-23 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-23 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@409da4ad76d921b173ebb801e316023f74564239, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/409da4ad76d921b173ebb801e316023f74564239
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb47973eecd869ab5662bb39002f6680536caa6c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64183344f6f29ed0cad33d6ec0e769aa5e31fb19
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de77b0f68142147e74fac1c497dbe1f93daeeed9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d9644753d46c86b4e5c05bd6d9d35339ea27331
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0183cd1f6a2dba9e63be20af2f65093c9c8d121
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0878594c5806dd29fa5e16cc026ce19158afdad2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a10a2f80476d166fd81c361ec0319493671b694e
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98704 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98704 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vrf9-cxgg-qw6c · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98704 · 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