CVE-2026-98349

Received Received - Intake

BaseFortify

Publication date: 2026-10-06

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: libipw: reject too-short beacon and probe responses libipw_process_probe_response() and the libipw_network_init() call it makes assume the frame contains the full 36-byte beacon and probe response prefix, but the ipw2100 and ipw2200 receive paths only establish that a management frame carries the generic 24-byte three-address header. libipw_network_init() then computes the information element length as stats->len - sizeof(*beacon) stats->len is a u16 and sizeof() has type size_t, so the subtraction is evaluated as size_t and wraps instead of going negative. Truncating that to the u16 length parameter of libipw_parse_info_param() yields 65524 for a 24-byte beacon, and the parser then walks the receive buffer as if it held almost 64 KiB of information elements, reading past the allocation. Reject the frame before any fixed field is touched. Found by an AI-assisted review of length arithmetic in management frame parsers. Verified with a KUnit case under Generic KASAN on arm64 under QEMU; I do not have the hardware, so it is not tested on a real device.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-06

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-06

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-98349

EUVD

EUVD-2026-93334

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	b453872c35cfcbdbf5a794737817f7d4e7b1b579
Linux	Linux	2.6.14

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves incorrect handling of Wi-Fi beacon and probe response frames. The libipw_process_probe_response() and libipw_network_init() functions assume these frames contain a full 36-byte prefix, but the hardware only guarantees a 24-byte header. This leads to an integer underflow when calculating frame length, causing the parser to read far beyond the actual buffer size, potentially exposing memory.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's libipw module for ipw2100 and ipw2200 wireless devices. Detection requires checking if these modules are loaded and if the kernel version is vulnerable. Use commands like 'lsmod | grep ipw' to check loaded modules and 'uname -a' to verify kernel version. Monitor for crashes or unusual behavior in wireless network handling.

Impact Analysis

An attacker within Wi-Fi range could exploit this to crash the system or potentially execute arbitrary code on affected devices using the ipw2100 or ipw2200 Wi-Fi drivers. This may lead to denial of service or unauthorized access depending on the system configuration.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it pertains to a buffer overflow in the Linux kernel's wifi driver (libipw). It may indirectly impact systems handling sensitive data if exploited to cause denial-of-service or unauthorized memory access.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that resolves this issue. If using affected ipw2100 or ipw2200 devices, disable the libipw module by blacklisting it or removing the hardware. Monitor vendor advisories for kernel updates and apply them promptly.

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