« Back to list

CVE-2026-97516

Status: ReceivedUnscored—

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: rtw88: Add NULL check for chip->edcca_th in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result()

It was recently reported that rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c dereferences rtwdev->chip->edcca_th without a NULL check. The issue is that devices with the 8821CE chip don't define edcca_th in their chip info. As a result, when rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() tries to dereference it, the kernel triggers an oops.

Add a NULL check for edcca_th before dereferencing it in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c. Placing the check at the function entry avoids logging any garbage values.

Read full descriptionShow less

This change does not address the root cause for this behavior, but it prevents the NULL dereference and the resulting oops while a more permanent solution is developed.

Tested on a 8822CE chip which defines edcca_th, so this issue is not present on it, but it still uses this driver and I can verify there are no regressions.

CVSS

NVD hasn't assigned a CVSS score to this CVE (common since the April 2026 policy change).

Exploitation probability (EPSS)

EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System, FIRST) estimates how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited in the wild within 30 days. It complements CVSS (impact) and CISA KEV (confirmed exploitation).

Affected technologies (1)

⚠ AI-inferred from the description — NVD hasn't analyzed this CVE yet, these aren't verified CPEs.

Linux — Linux KernelAI

References

Raw JSON (NVD)

Show
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-97516",
  "cveTags": [],
  "metrics": {},
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130",
              "lessThan": "a8cdb18ef80d67790d8611ba94ae3d81901c9e04",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130",
              "lessThan": "0b58a5ac9170a6f5e6425f8e1a4b3e1d9c2bf53d",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130",
              "lessThan": "6fa23cafaf30f4877e357f8eebcff00dff4aa9cb",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130",
              "lessThan": "1d1f250432cd8704c3c125168887f9724021c81a",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130",
              "lessThan": "d5e6f353ce1e1c25b8458ea390ed09d2377412c5",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/fw.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected"
        },
        {
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.16"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "5.16",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.189",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.158",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.111",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.53",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*"
            },
            {
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.2",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*"
            }
          ],
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/realtek/rtw88/fw.c"
          ],
          "defaultStatus": "affected"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "published": "2026-09-24T17:17:29.550",
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b58a5ac9170a6f5e6425f8e1a4b3e1d9c2bf53d",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d1f250432cd8704c3c125168887f9724021c81a",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6fa23cafaf30f4877e357f8eebcff00dff4aa9cb",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8cdb18ef80d67790d8611ba94ae3d81901c9e04",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5e6f353ce1e1c25b8458ea390ed09d2377412c5",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
  ],
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: rtw88: Add NULL check for chip->edcca_th in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result()\n\nIt was recently reported that rtw_fw_adaptivity_result()\nin fw.c dereferences rtwdev->chip->edcca_th without\na NULL check. The issue is that devices with the\n8821CE chip don't define edcca_th in their chip\ninfo. As a result, when rtw_fw_adaptivity_result()\ntries to dereference it, the kernel triggers an oops.\n\nAdd a NULL check for edcca_th before dereferencing\nit in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c. Placing\nthe check at the function entry avoids logging any\ngarbage values.\n\nThis change does not address the root cause for\nthis behavior, but it prevents the NULL dereference\nand the resulting oops while a more permanent solution\nis developed.\n\nTested on a 8822CE chip which defines edcca_th, so\nthis issue is not present on it, but it still uses\nthis driver and I can verify there are no regressions."
    }
  ],
  "lastModified": "2026-10-03T11:18:00.840",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}