Kernel panic via invalid CSA bandwidth
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
CSA validation in Linux mac80211 allows remote attackers within Wi-Fi range to crash the kernel via crafted channel-switch frames. In net/mac80211/spectmgmt.c, validate_chandef_by_ht_vht_oper() warns on a 320 MHz indication for a non-6 GHz link but continues with an uninitialized vht_oper.chan_width that ieee80211_chandef_vht_oper() reads. The panic requires panic_on_warn enabled and a station associated with the relevant wireless network; no local login is required.
Summary
What happened
CSA validation in Linux mac80211 allows remote attackers within Wi-Fi range to crash the kernel via crafted channel-switch frames. In net/mac80211/spectmgmt.c, validate_chandef_by_ht_vht_oper() warns on a 320 MHz indication for a non-6 GHz link but continues with an uninitialized vht_oper.chan_width that ieee80211_chandef_vht_oper() reads. The panic requires panic_on_warn enabled and a station associated with the relevant wireless network; no local login is required.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98702
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 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?
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- Affected versionversion=21c3f8f95554feff9bed15703e89adbe582e0383 <1892e71aa2e5ee667d87c6e49e3661f5e290303b
- Affected versionversion=21c3f8f95554feff9bed15703e89adbe582e0383 <56e236759f0a8dc910c2ae7cd3c161f298ee5794
- Affected versionversion=21c3f8f95554feff9bed15703e89adbe582e0383 <79b3ce0d881cd6e5d4d3496b19f5cc5e7089a56c
- Affected versionversion=21c3f8f95554feff9bed15703e89adbe582e0383 <cf0ddacce173890407ed3fa50c8ea9b3c0cc0e16
- Affected versionversion=6.9
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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
Public exploit references
- mac80211 invalid 320 MHz CSA reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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