CVE-2026-98426

Received Received - Intake

IRQ Leak in mwifiex WiFi Driver

Publication date: 2026-10-14

Last updated on: 2026-10-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path mwifiex_pcie_request_irq() registers each MSI-X vector with a per-index dev_id (&card->msix_ctx[i]). On a request_irq() failure the cleanup loop "for (j = 0; j < i; j++)" frees msix_entries[j].vector but passes the failed index's &card->msix_ctx[i] as the dev_id. free_irq() matches on (irq, dev_id), so it fails to find the action registered with &card->msix_ctx[j]: the already-requested IRQ j is not freed (leaked) and free_irq() warns about freeing a non-existent IRQ. Use &card->msix_ctx[j].

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-10-14

Last Modified

2026-10-19

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-98426

EUVD

EUVD-2026-101075

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	99074fc1e67b374b5c72406a23ac01fed806d634
Linux	Linux	4.6

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is in the Linux kernel's mwifiex Wi-Fi driver. It involves an IRQ (interrupt request) leak due to incorrect index handling in the MSI-X error path. When registering MSI-X vectors, the cleanup process fails to free the correct IRQ because it uses the wrong index for the device ID. This causes the IRQ to remain allocated, leading to a resource leak and potential system instability.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's mwifiex driver and involves an IRQ leak in the MSI-X error path. Detection requires checking kernel logs for IRQ-related warnings or errors, particularly during driver initialization or error handling. Commands like dmesg | grep -i irq or journalctl -k | grep -i irq may help identify issues.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to system instability or crashes due to unmanaged IRQs. It may cause performance degradation, unexpected behavior, or denial of service if the leaked IRQs accumulate over time. Systems relying on Wi-Fi connectivity could experience disruptions or failures.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability involves an IRQ leak in the Linux kernel's mwifiex driver due to incorrect MSI-X vector cleanup. It does not directly impact data confidentiality, integrity, or availability in a way that would violate GDPR or HIPAA requirements. However, unpatched systems could face reliability issues or unexpected behavior, potentially affecting system stability and indirectly influencing compliance.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version where this vulnerability is patched. If using a distribution kernel, apply vendor-provided updates. Reboot the system after updating to ensure the patched kernel is active.

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