CVE-2026-98406
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: mac80211: avoid WARN in set_bitrate_mask when sdata not in driver
ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() checks if the interface is running via ieee80211_sdata_running(), but it does not check if the interface is still present in the driver.
When sdata is running but IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER is not set, the call reaches drv_set_bitrate_mask() in driver-ops.h which hits
Syzkaller triggers this via wext SIOCSIWRATE ioctl. The Call Trace shows wext_ioctl_dispatch() in wext-core.c dispatching the ioctl, calling ioctl_standard_call() for SIOCSIWRATE, which calls cfg80211_wext_siwrate() in wext-compat.c. That builds a bitrate mask and calls rdev_set_bitrate_mask() which ends up in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() in cfg.c. The interface is marked running via SDATA_STATE_RUNNING but flags is 0, so check_sdata_in_driver() fails.
Read full descriptionShow less
When the interface is being torn down, or when wext ioctl is issued during interface bringup before drv_add_interface() sets IN_DRIVER, the running check passes while IN_DRIVER is clear.
Check IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() before calling the driver, returning -ENETDOWN. This avoids the WARN_ONCE in driver-ops.h and matches other cfg.c operations that bail early when not in driver.
This change should be safe because wiphy mutex is held in cfg80211_wext_siwrate() via guard(wiphy), and IN_DRIVER is set/cleared under RTNL and wiphy paths in drv_add_interface() and drv_remove_interface() in driver-ops.c, so the check is race-free against driver add/remove. Returning -ENETDOWN is the same error other not-running paths use and does not introduce new locking.
[also add second syzbot report]
Technical details traces, logs and code from the original report
wlan1: Failed check-sdata-in-driver check, flags: 0x0 WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.h:884 at drv_set_bitrate_mask
CVSS
NVD hasn't assigned a CVSS score to this CVE (common since the April 2026 policy change).
Exploitation probability (EPSS)
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
- 0.22 %
- Percentile among all scored CVEs
- 12
- Score date
- 10/21/2026
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.
References
Show 8 references
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d1700394e9f5d0bd9bebad8d5a50edf983f52fd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4095b66acae9893dd13deb39a4331651cb2f822b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/432c8532d5ccc2af77da43ed6ef1c80495a4efe8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ba86c44b2fcb1c3175caa2456b6d58f483446ab
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7978dda63d2b109ea9c3f7a096cd1aac6542cd54
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c2cd9c44777cf97be3e35c10b7c2d8f59ebb9306
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4ee5685af444024e6222ce29f6ed36adc44ffc3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da2ca406f45a6e21760243152ed8d2e8e72915c2
Raw JSON (NVD)
Show
{
"id": "CVE-2026-98406",
"cveTags": [],
"metrics": {},
"affected": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
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{
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"versions": [
{
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"version": "3.5"
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{
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"version": "0",
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{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.10.271",
"versionType": "semver",
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{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.15.222",
"versionType": "semver",
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},
{
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.1.189",
"versionType": "semver",
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{
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"version": "6.6.158",
"versionType": "semver",
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{
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"versionType": "semver",
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{
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"version": "6.18.54",
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}
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],
"published": "2026-10-14T14:17:51.710",
"references": [
{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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{
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"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4ee5685af444024e6222ce29f6ed36adc44ffc3",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da2ca406f45a6e21760243152ed8d2e8e72915c2",
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"vulnStatus": "Received",
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: mac80211: avoid WARN in set_bitrate_mask when sdata not in driver\n\nieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() checks if the interface is running via\nieee80211_sdata_running(), but it does not check if the interface is\nstill present in the driver.\n\nWhen sdata is running but IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER is not set, the\ncall reaches drv_set_bitrate_mask() in driver-ops.h which hits\n\n wlan1: Failed check-sdata-in-driver check, flags: 0x0\n WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.h:884 at drv_set_bitrate_mask\n\nSyzkaller triggers this via wext SIOCSIWRATE ioctl. The Call Trace shows\nwext_ioctl_dispatch() in wext-core.c dispatching the ioctl, calling\nioctl_standard_call() for SIOCSIWRATE, which calls cfg80211_wext_siwrate()\nin wext-compat.c. That builds a bitrate mask and calls\nrdev_set_bitrate_mask() which ends up in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() in\ncfg.c. The interface is marked running via SDATA_STATE_RUNNING but\nflags is 0, so check_sdata_in_driver() fails.\n\nWhen the interface is being torn down, or when wext ioctl is issued\nduring interface bringup before drv_add_interface() sets IN_DRIVER, the\nrunning check passes while IN_DRIVER is clear.\n\nCheck IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() before\ncalling the driver, returning -ENETDOWN. This avoids the WARN_ONCE in\ndriver-ops.h and matches other cfg.c operations that bail early when not\nin driver.\n\nThis change should be safe because wiphy mutex is held in\ncfg80211_wext_siwrate() via guard(wiphy), and IN_DRIVER is set/cleared\nunder RTNL and wiphy paths in drv_add_interface() and\ndrv_remove_interface() in driver-ops.c, so the check is race-free\nagainst driver add/remove. Returning -ENETDOWN is the same error other\nnot-running paths use and does not introduce new locking.\n\n[also add second syzbot report]"
}
],
"lastModified": "2026-10-19T10:18:45.657",
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}