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CVE-2026-98331
wifi: mac80211: unlist vifs when their netdev is unregistered
Overview
Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: unlist vifs when their netdev is unregistered mac80211 only removes vifs from the local->interfaces list when an interface is removed via ieee80211_if_remove(), before it unregisters the netdev. However, it's possible for a netdev to be unregistered without going through that: When the netns that holds the wiphy is destroyed, the wiphy is supposed to move to the init_ns, but that can run into allocation failures. Then, mac80211 has an interface listed that doesn't exist, and will eventually hit BUG: failure at net/wireless/core.h:141/wiphy_to_rdev()! ... _cfg80211_unregister_wdev+0x24/0x36a [cfg80211] cfg80211_unregister_wdev+0x15/0x1d [cfg80211] ieee80211_remove_interfaces+0x1ff/0x257 [mac80211] ieee80211_unregister_hw+0x73/0x1d1 [mac80211] mac80211_hwsim_del_radio+0x114/0x166 [mac80211_hwsim] Remove the interface from the list in ->ndo_uninit if it's still around to avoid this.

Details
INFO

Published Date :

Oct. 6, 2026, 9:18 a.m.

Last Modified :

Oct. 6, 2026, 9:18 a.m.

Remotely Exploit :

No

Source :

416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Impact
Affected Products

The following products are affected by CVE-2026-98331 vulnerability. Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the products that are affected, the information is not represented in the table below.

ID Vendor Product Action
1 Linux linux_kernel
: Total Affected Vendor : 1 | Products : 1
Solution
Ensure interfaces are unlisted from the local->interfaces list before netdev unregistration.
  • Unregister interfaces when their netdev is unregistered.
  • Ensure vif is unlisted from local->interfaces.
  • Remove interface from list in ->ndo_uninit.
  • Update the Linux kernel.
References
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools

Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to CVE-2026-98331.

URL Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/20a56e96a6f7b4dfbd13f8732fd2673409fc7ba0
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/821bab0456dfca12acef6df702c8f2477d313227
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a22c02863439993095acd0c3db97fa53cd515f4f
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b735ad1a9aca6080192c1316cf2706e5e1318762
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d45bf731ec7085d2cc2c5d179d3b3b6c743d4fb1
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eee2efd82867b623982ac51925b5a1812a74c50d
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration

While CVE identifies specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-98331 is associated with the following CWEs:

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC) stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-98331 weaknesses.

We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).

Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.

The following list is the news that have been mention CVE-2026-98331 vulnerability anywhere in the article.

Results are limited to the first 20 news articles due to potential performance issues.

The following table lists the changes that have been made to the CVE-2026-98331 vulnerability over time.

Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.

  • New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

    Oct. 06, 2026

    Action Type Old Value New Value
    Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: unlist vifs when their netdev is unregistered mac80211 only removes vifs from the local->interfaces list when an interface is removed via ieee80211_if_remove(), before it unregisters the netdev. However, it's possible for a netdev to be unregistered without going through that: When the netns that holds the wiphy is destroyed, the wiphy is supposed to move to the init_ns, but that can run into allocation failures. Then, mac80211 has an interface listed that doesn't exist, and will eventually hit BUG: failure at net/wireless/core.h:141/wiphy_to_rdev()! ... _cfg80211_unregister_wdev+0x24/0x36a [cfg80211] cfg80211_unregister_wdev+0x15/0x1d [cfg80211] ieee80211_remove_interfaces+0x1ff/0x257 [mac80211] ieee80211_unregister_hw+0x73/0x1d1 [mac80211] mac80211_hwsim_del_radio+0x114/0x166 [mac80211_hwsim] Remove the interface from the list in ->ndo_uninit if it's still around to avoid this.
    Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/98xxx/CVE-2026-98331.json">CVE-2026-98331</a>
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/20a56e96a6f7b4dfbd13f8732fd2673409fc7ba0
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/821bab0456dfca12acef6df702c8f2477d313227
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a22c02863439993095acd0c3db97fa53cd515f4f
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b735ad1a9aca6080192c1316cf2706e5e1318762
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d45bf731ec7085d2cc2c5d179d3b3b6c743d4fb1
    Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eee2efd82867b623982ac51925b5a1812a74c50d
EPSS is a daily estimate of the probability of exploitation activity being observed over the next 30 days. Following chart shows the EPSS score history of the vulnerability.
CVSS
Vulnerability Scoring Details
No CVSS metrics available for this vulnerability.