CVE-2026-68402
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Wi-Fi subsystem (cfg80211). The cfg80211_is_element_inherited() function does not properly validate the length of extension elements. A remote attacker, by sending a specially crafted Wi-Fi frame from an Access Point (AP), could trigger a one-octet slab-out-of-bounds read during element parsing. This could lead to information disclosure or potentially other impacts.
Mitigation
To mitigate this issue, disable the Wi-Fi functionality if it is not required. This can be done by blacklisting the `cfg80211` kernel module.
1. Create a new file `/etc/modprobe.d/disable-wifi.conf` with the following content:
blacklist cfg802112. Rebuild the initial ramdisk:
bash3. Reboot the system for the changes to take effect.
sudo dracut -f -v
This mitigation will prevent the `cfg80211` module, and thus Wi-Fi, from loading. This may impact network connectivity if Wi-Fi is the primary or only network interface.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 7 | N/A | 7.1 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Adjacent Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | None |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | High | N/A | Low |
| Integrity Impact | High | N/A | None |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
An attacker could get secret values such as cryptographic keys, PII, memory addresses, or other information that could be used in additional attacks.
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Bypass Protection Mechanism
Out-of-bounds memory could contain memory addresses or other information that can be used to bypass ASLR and other protection mechanisms in order to improve the reliability of exploiting a separate weakness for code execution.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
An attacker could cause a segmentation fault or crash by causing memory to be read outside of the bounds of the buffer. This is especially likely when the code reads a variable amount of data and assumes that a sentinel exists to stop the read operation, such as a NUL in a string.
Other
Technical Impact: Varies by Context
The read operation could produce other undefined or unexpected results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not sure what something means? Check out our Security Glossary.
Want to get errata notifications? Sign up here.
