CVE-2026-98348

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: libipw: reject too-short association responses libipw_handle_assoc_resp() reads the capability, status and aid fields of the 30-byte association response prefix and then computes the information element length as stats->len - sizeof(*frame) stats->len is a u16 and sizeof() has type size_t, so the subtraction is evaluated as size_t and wraps instead of going negative. Truncating that to the u16 length parameter of libipw_parse_info_param() turns a frame shorter than the fixed fields into a length near 64 KiB, and the parser then reads past the receive buffer. Both the ipw2100 and ipw2200 management receive paths reach this function having established only that the frame carries the generic 24-byte three-address header. Reject the frame before any fixed field is touched. Found by an AI-assisted review of length arithmetic in management frame parsers. Verified with a KUnit case under Generic KASAN on arm64 under QEMU; I do not have the hardware, so it is not tested on a real device.

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited from the same network segment without logging in. High risk of service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

No patch or advisory is linked yet. Look at mitigations or restrict exposure.

Timeline

1. 2026-10-06 09:18 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-10-19 10:18 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Details

Published

2026-10-06 09:18 UTC

Last modified

2026-10-19 10:18 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Record status

Received

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.1

Attack vector

Adjacent network

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

None

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

Low

Integrity

None

Availability

High