Kernel warning via simulated-radio shutdown race
Published Oct 14, 2026 · Updated Oct 14, 2026
A shutdown race in Linux mac80211_hwsim allows local users to trigger a kernel warning through simulated-radio frame delivery. The receive path checks the radio's started flag without synchronizing frame delivery against shutdown, then passes frames from wmediumd to mac80211 after the radio stops. The simulator must be active and frame delivery must overlap shutdown; the documented consequence is WARN_ON(!local->started), with no established service interruption or privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
A shutdown race in Linux mac80211_hwsim allows local users to trigger a kernel warning through simulated-radio frame delivery. The receive path checks the radio's started flag without synchronizing frame delivery against shutdown, then passes frames from wmediumd to mac80211 after the radio stops. The simulator must be active and frame delivery must overlap shutdown; the documented consequence is WARN_ON(!local->started), with no established service interruption or privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98423
- Published
- Oct 14, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 14, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 14, 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=3.1
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <2f59be7585dc81baa6f36b0035dd6848ea43d318
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <5c79ef616aa16af582fb2cb93b0f750975a0004f
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <5ce9b2bc9e73213e316a8c72400256a76bf41814
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <87840d4a3a21b1c19b867a80e16ba69dff284de2
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <c4e4fe330294e3936e0f4e15d6996468f8a45fb2
- Affected versionversion=7882513bacb176ab4aacceefdd035ca9479da4fb <d7fa45d8123a7f794b93fc22dbcf19f38dc4d8cb
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
- WARNING in ieee80211_rx_list (3) reproducerproof of concept · unverified
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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