High

CVE-2026-68402 — wifi: cfg80211: bound element ID read when checking non-inheritance

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: bound element ID read when checking non-inheritance cfg80211_is_element_inherited() reads the first data octet of the candidate element (id = elem->data[0]) to look it up in an extension non-inheritance list. It does so after testing elem->id, but without verifying that the element actually has a data octet. A zero-length extension element (WLAN_EID_EXTENSION with length 0) therefore makes it read one octet past the end of the element. _ieee802_11_parse_elems_full() runs this check for every element of a frame once a non-inheritance context exists -- e.g. while parsing a per-STA profile of a Multi-Link element in a (re)association response, or a non-transmitted BSS profile -- so a crafted frame from an AP can trigger a one-octet slab-out-of-bounds read during element parsing: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in cfg80211_is_element_inherited Read of size 1 ... in net/wireless/scan.c Return early (treat the element as inherited) when an extension element carries no data, mirroring the existing handling of empty ID lists. The bug was found by fuzzing ieee802_11_parse_elems_full() under KASAN.

Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Oct 15, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

—

No EPSS score.

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

7.1

High · 2 source(s)

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 521dd5fe6d12b0d3c275f919738dc3a07117f4a5≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 24154c172246ae3f0e69bb17c9111095685ceedc≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 2d31ebb26a14f103c9cdc5287fb20cb2d4bde901≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 20c308d9a57722801961f816395bf825f7bde6bc≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 84bd907361c56fbd5523eceb2682cb39da059bd5≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < 11ac7a5e75f5132f1778e0c60981d30dc29fb869≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < ddf2773bcc8e49a43c561f22ec1e7924215d7947≥ f7dacfb11475ba777e1e84ccec2e14b0ba5a17a3 and < cb8afea4655ff004fa7feee825d5c79783525383 and 1 more version 5.2	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Adjacent

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.1	CVSS 3.1	High	2.8	4.2	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.1	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.

application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 15, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.1
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Received
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Aug 10, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

8 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/11ac7a5e75f5132f1778e0c60981d30dc29fb869
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/cb8afea4655ff004fa7feee825d5c79783525383
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/20c308d9a57722801961f816395bf825f7bde6bc
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/84bd907361c56fbd5523eceb2682cb39da059bd5
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/521dd5fe6d12b0d3c275f919738dc3a07117f4a5
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d31ebb26a14f103c9cdc5287fb20cb2d4bde901
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/ddf2773bcc8e49a43c561f22ec1e7924215d7947
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/24154c172246ae3f0e69bb17c9111095685ceedc
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 12h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 12h
Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No FIRST EPSS score.
No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No CISA SSVC assessment.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-68402 is "wifi: cfg80211: bound element ID read when checking non-inheritance", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.1 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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