Out-of-bounds read in Linux kernel libertas driver monitor mode
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
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel libertas wifi driver from 2.6.22 before the fixed releases is affected. In monitor mode, the driver reads the 802.11 destination address without checking that the frame holds enough bytes, so a short frame is read past the end of the buffer.
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: libertas: reject short monitor TX frames In monitor mode, lbs_hard_start_xmit() casts skb->data to a radiotap TX header, skips that header, and then copies the 802.11 destination address from offset 4 in the remaining frame. The generic length check only rejects zero-length and oversized skbs, so a short monitor frame can be read past the end of the skb data. Require enough bytes for the radiotap TX header and the destination address field before using the monitor-mode header layout.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Linux kernel fixed versions are 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53 and 7.2.
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, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2
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
- 2026-10-23 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98890
- 2026-10-23 Alias added: GHSA-65v2-4hr3-h5j6
- 2026-10-26 Fix available: Linux/Linux@0 · CNA
- 2026-10-26 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-26 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68c92c991ddb75dfd3fd62a94a1d4d2dde44dc3c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d865dd6de8295f2bfaa83f0f5d49d2bef1543065
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6576baa3fdbaa91fa75e4ba27095f4b8a27349a8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b657cc98d7936c5d9ed7e0e1944ad0e1f36375bb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/443fac3de65c76544b450b9f9903be8989150d55
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cdcfd662c67833d89ee3d912efde2eb67c8a7326
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/13ff543e0b2c713aedeaadadde686686e949dc78
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-2026-98890 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98890 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-65v2-4hr3-h5j6 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98890 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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