Kernel crash via unready ath12k link bitmap
Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 6.14 through 6.18.39 and 6.19 through 7.1.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during ath12k link handling. ath12k_mac_op_change_sta_links adds an uncreated link to links_map before checking arvif->is_created, leaving later code to dereference the NULL arvif->ar pointer. The crash requires supported ath12k hardware, a newly added link whose channel validation fails, and a later operation such as disconnecting or installing PTK keys.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 6.14 through 6.18.39 and 6.19 through 7.1.4 allows local users to crash the kernel during ath12k link handling. ath12k_mac_op_change_sta_links adds an uncreated link to links_map before checking arvif->is_created, leaving later code to dereference the NULL arvif->ar pointer. The crash requires supported ath12k hardware, a newly added link whose channel validation fails, and a later operation such as disconnecting or installing PTK keys.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-74366
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 15, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 15, 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.14
- Affected versionversion=a27fa6148dacc79451e523c2694bc0a673b1be05 <47809a7c8348bc4a332ccc26a37c7145a5f609f8
- Affected versionversion=a27fa6148dacc79451e523c2694bc0a673b1be05 <5f5be2aa3b6d730c51dd4f8b432f2ad72823e63f
- Affected versionversion=a27fa6148dacc79451e523c2694bc0a673b1be05 <cfcea221db933295bf2cd75a7f80d441c7a51e28
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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