CVE-2026-98334 — wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails ieee80211_start_ap() can set enable_beacon (and beacon_int) and fail later, leaving it set forever. Scanning can then attempt to restore beaconing on such an interface, leading to: Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI RIP: 0010:mac80211_hwsim_link_info_changed+0xca7/0xf00 Call Trace: drv_link_info_changed+0x413/0x860 net/mac80211/driver-ops.c:495 ieee80211_link_info_change_notify+0x24b/0x3c0 net/mac80211/main.c:427 ieee80211_offchannel_return+0x381/0x580 net/mac80211/offchannel.c:160 __ieee80211_scan_completed+0x993/0xe30 net/mac80211/scan.c:519 ieee80211_scan_work+0x472/0x2010 net/mac80211/scan.c:1193 cfg80211_wiphy_work+0x2b7/0x550 net/wireless/core.c:538 in hwsim. Also, cfg80211 then allows changing the interface type, and the off-channel path getgs confused about beaconing as well, leading to another warning: WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.c:468 at drv_link_info_changed+0x583/0x880 ieee80211_link_info_change_notify+0x24b/0x3c0 net/mac80211/main.c:427 ieee80211_offchannel_stop_vifs+0x328/0x5c0 net/mac80211/offchannel.c:122 ieee80211_start_sw_scan net/mac80211/scan.c:583 [inline] __ieee80211_start_scan+0xfb6/0x1af0 net/mac80211/scan.c:882 Reset the state on failures to always have it correct.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
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.
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 | ≥ d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 and < d83da43e9b3b3b1bad99ac5a1065f1c63ad5fc32≥ d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 and < 5d5ff5b36f5748a2a077f875a73ccb26860d3fcc≥ d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 and < 6eac225f59c1c2277ac74f8a716d6df0ba3b8d28≥ d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 and < 3f28551d0241254a75626d868041c6340285088bversion 3.9 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.18%
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.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 10h
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 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 CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
- 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-2026-98334 is "wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.18% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. 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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