CVE-2026-98698
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's mac80211 wireless subsystem. When handling a Fast Initial Link Setup (FILS) association request frame with an empty payload, the system fails to validate zero-length plaintext before cryptographic processing. This issue causes an invalid memory reference to be passed to the encryption backend, which can trigger a kernel crash. An adjacent attacker within Wi-Fi range could exploit this vulnerability to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is evaluated with a Moderate severity rating because successful exploitation is constrained to adjacent wireless proximity and requires an active Wi-Fi interface configured to process FILS-based associations. Standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments and container host platforms typically run on server hardware without physical Wi-Fi adapters or wireless access point services enabled. Consequently, default installations face minimal exposure unless explicitly configured with supported wireless hardware.
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 | 5.3 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Adjacent Network | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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