CVE-2026-98823

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: preserve hidden-group beacon IE ownership A hidden-group probe-response entry borrows its beacon IEs from the group's beacon entry. cfg80211_update_assoc_bss_entry() can pass such an entry to cfg80211_update_known_bss() when merging scan entries after a channel switch. Copying the borrowed beacon_ies into the associated entry gives the same allocation two owners. Releasing the group's beacon entry can then leave the associated entry pointing to freed IEs, which are freed again when that entry is released. Skip beacon IE replacement when the source entry belongs to a hidden group. Preserve probe-response processing, the subsequent metadata updates, and the existing rejection path for conflicting hidden beacon updates.

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EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0019

Probability of exploitation

0.09%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49b66110a08e4f926f6393e938f226de2750a08b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5617d5328839003c91007ce906b4f100b43926e9 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f27581c176f84b52ec0ab9be7b500c10667ef60 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc45f313d85533d647ce619326302aad6f797c14 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd7973a4130b0862be38d7e08cc0e874b3d99967

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98823? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: preserve hidden-group beacon IE ownership A hidden-group probe-response entry borrows its beacon IEs from the group's beacon entry. cfg80211_update_assoc_bss_entry() can pass such an entry to cfg80211_update_known_bss() when merging scan entries after a channel switch. Copying the borrowed beacon_ies into the associated entry gives the same allocation two owners. Releasing the group's beacon entry can then leave the associated entry pointing to freed IEs, which are freed again when that entry is released. Skip beacon IE replacement when the source entry belongs to a hidden group. Preserve probe-response processing, the subsequent metadata updates, and the existing rejection path for conflicting hidden beacon updates.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98823? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.