CVE-2026-98159

Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete

WiFi: mt76 mt7921 CLC Firmware Validation Flaw

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-10-14

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mt76: mt7921: validate CLC firmware records The CLC region is supplied by firmware, but the loader trusts the region count and each record length. A malformed image can make the region table pointer precede the firmware buffer, make the record loop fail to advance, or index phy->clc past its end. Validate the table and record bounds before dereferencing or copying.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-09-25

Last Modified

2026-10-14

Generated

2026-10-15

AI Q&A

2026-09-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-14

NVD

CVE-2026-98159

EUVD

EUVD-2026-86990

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.18 (inc) to 6.18.53 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 7.2 (inc) to 7.2.7 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.12 (inc) to 6.12.111 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.6 (inc) to 6.6.158 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.1 (inc) to 6.1.189 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-787	The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel affects the mt76 wireless driver, specifically the mt7921 chipset. It involves improper validation of firmware-supplied CLC records. The loader trusts the region count and record lengths without proper bounds checking, allowing a malformed firmware image to manipulate pointers. This could lead to out-of-bounds access or memory corruption when the driver processes the CLC region.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's mt76 driver for mt7921 WiFi devices. Detection requires checking the kernel version and mt76 driver status. Use commands like 'uname -a' to check kernel version and 'lsmod | grep mt76' to verify if the vulnerable driver is loaded.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker with local access to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code on the affected system. It may lead to system crashes, unauthorized data access, or privilege escalation. Users running vulnerable Linux kernels with mt7921 Wi-Fi chips are at risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It is a low-level firmware validation issue in the Linux kernel's WiFi driver (mt76: mt7921) that could allow memory corruption or crashes if exploited. Compliance impacts would only occur if exploitation led to unauthorized data access or system compromise, which is not specified in the provided context.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to a patched version that includes the fix for CVE-2026-98159. If immediate kernel update is not possible, disable the mt76 driver for mt7921 devices by blacklisting the module using 'echo blacklist mt7921e >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf' followed by 'update-initramfs -u'.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-98159. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70