CVE-2026-64117
Received Received - Intake

Memory Corruption in Linux Kernel WiFi Subsystem

Publication date: 2026-07-19

Last updated on: 2026-07-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: capture fast-RX rate before mesh reuses skb->cb ieee80211_invoke_fast_rx() reads RX status through IEEE80211_SKB_RXCB(skb), which aliases the same skb->cb storage that ieee80211_rx_mesh_data() reuses as IEEE80211_TX_INFO. In the unicast forward path, mesh_data does: info = IEEE80211_SKB_CB(fwd_skb); memset(info, 0, sizeof(*info)); on the same skb the caller still names via rx->skb, then either queues the skb for TX (success) or kfree_skb()'s it (no-route) before returning RX_QUEUED. The caller's RX_QUEUED arm then calls sta_stats_encode_rate(status) on memory that is either zeroed (success path) or freed (no-route path). The latter is KASAN slab-use-after-free in ieee80211_prepare_and_rx_handle. Fix by encoding the rate from status before invoking ieee80211_rx_mesh_data(), so the RX_QUEUED arm consumes a value captured while status was still backed by valid memory.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-19
Last Modified
2026-07-19
Generated
2026-07-20
AI Q&A
2026-07-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-64117
EUVD
EUVD-2026-45802

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a memory corruption issue where the fast-RX rate is captured after mesh reuses skb->cb storage. The ieee80211_invoke_fast_rx() function reads RX status through IEEE80211_SKB_RXCB(skb), which shares the same memory location as IEEE80211_TX_INFO used by ieee80211_rx_mesh_data(). This leads to a use-after-free condition when the caller processes the skb after mesh operations, potentially causing a slab-use-after-free in ieee80211_prepare_and_rx_handle.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's mac80211 subsystem and involves a use-after-free issue in the mesh forwarding path. Detection requires checking kernel logs for slab-use-after-free errors related to ieee80211_prepare_and_rx_handle or sta_stats_encode_rate. Use commands like dmesg | grep -i 'slab-use-after-free\|ieee80211_prepare_and_rx_handle\|sta_stats_encode_rate' to search for relevant errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition by triggering a kernel crash or memory corruption. Systems running affected versions of the Linux kernel with WiFi functionality enabled may be vulnerable to remote attacks via WiFi networks.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability is a memory corruption issue in the Linux kernel's WiFi subsystem that could lead to a use-after-free condition. It does not directly impact compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA, as those focus on data protection and privacy rather than kernel memory management. However, if exploited, it could potentially lead to system instability or crashes, indirectly affecting availability aspects of compliance requirements.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel security updates from your Linux distribution to patch the mac80211 subsystem. If immediate patching is not possible, disable mesh networking features if they are not required. Monitor kernel logs for signs of exploitation or crashes.

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