CVE-2026-97442

Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in ath11k Wi-Fi Driver

Publication date: 2026-09-24

Last updated on: 2026-10-03

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: fix invalid data access in ath11k_dp_rx_h_undecap_nwifi In certain cases, hardware might provide packets with a length greater than the maximum native Wi-Fi header length. This can lead to accessing and modifying fields in the header within the ath11k_dp_rx_h_undecap_nwifi() function for the DP_RX_DECAP_TYPE_NATIVE_WIFI decap type and potentially result in invalid data access and memory corruption. Kernel stack is corrupted in: ath11k_dp_rx_h_undecap+0x6b0/0x6b0 [ath11k] Call trace: ath11k_dp_rx_h_mpdu+0x0/0x2e8 [ath11k] ath11k_dp_rx_h_mpdu+0x1e0/0x2e8 [ath11k] ath11k_dp_rx_wbm_err+0x1e0/0x450 [ath11k] ath11k_dp_rx_process_wbm_err+0x2fc/0x460 [ath11k] ath11k_dp_service_srng+0x2e0/0x348 [ath11k] Add a sanity check before processing the SKB to prevent invalid data access in the undecap native Wi-Fi function for the DP_RX_DECAP_TYPE_NATIVE_WIFI decap type. This adapted from the discussion/patch of the ath12k driver [1]. Tested-on: WCN6855 hw2.1 PCI WLAN.HSP.1.1-04685-QCAHSPSWPL_V1_V2_SILICONZ_IOE-1

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-09-24

Last Modified

2026-10-03

Generated

2026-10-15

AI Q&A

2026-09-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-13

NVD

CVE-2026-97442

EUVD

EUVD-2026-86055

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	to 2.11.0 (inc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a flaw in the ath11k Wi-Fi driver. When hardware provides packets longer than the maximum native Wi-Fi header length, it can cause the ath11k_dp_rx_h_undecap_nwifi function to access and modify incorrect memory locations. This leads to invalid data access and potential memory corruption.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability involves invalid data access in the ath11k Wi-Fi driver. Detection requires checking kernel logs for crashes or memory corruption related to ath11k_dp_rx_h_undecap_nwifi. Use commands like dmesg | grep ath11k or journalctl -k | grep ath11k to inspect kernel logs for errors.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to corrupt kernel memory, potentially causing system crashes, privilege escalation, or arbitrary code execution. It specifically affects systems using the ath11k Wi-Fi driver, which is common in devices with Qualcomm Wi-Fi hardware.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability involves memory corruption due to invalid data access in the Linux kernel's Wi-Fi driver. While it does not directly impact compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA, such vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized data access or system compromise, which may violate these regulations if exploited.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. If immediate updating is not possible, disable the affected ath11k Wi-Fi driver module temporarily using rmmod ath11k.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-97442. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70