CVE-2025-71227

Local kernel crash via invalid-channel warning

Published Feb 18, 2026 · Updated Feb 18, 2026

Denial of service in Linux Kernel 3.8 through 6.18.9 allows local users to crash systems configured to panic on kernel warnings. In ieee80211_determine_chan_mode(), mac80211 calls WARN_ON after an unusable channel reaches 20 MHz NOHT, rather than reporting the condition and returning EINVAL quietly. Low-privileged local access, an invalidated Wi-Fi channel between scanning and connection, and panic_on_warn=1 are required for a kernel crash; otherwise the connection fails with a warning.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.10%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Denial of service in Linux Kernel 3.8 through 6.18.9 allows local users to crash systems configured to panic on kernel warnings. In ieee80211_determine_chan_mode(), mac80211 calls WARN_ON after an unusable channel reaches 20 MHz NOHT, rather than reporting the condition and returning EINVAL quietly. Low-privileged local access, an invalidated Wi-Fi channel between scanning and connection, and panic_on_warn=1 are required for a kernel crash; otherwise the connection fails with a warning.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71227
Published
Feb 18, 2026
Updated
Feb 18, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 18, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <10d3ff7e5812c8d70300f6fa8f524009a06aa7e1
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <99067b58a408a384d2a45c105eb3dce980a862ce

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <10d3ff7e5812c8d70300f6fa8f524009a06aa7e1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <99067b58a408a384d2a45c105eb3dce980a862ce

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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