CVE-2026-23396: wifi: mac80211: fix NULL deref in mesh_matches_local()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: mac80211: fix NULL deref in meshmatcheslocal()
meshmatcheslocal() unconditionally dereferences ie->meshconfig to compare mesh configuration parameters. When called from meshrxcsaframe(), the parsed action-frame elements may not contain a Mesh Configuration IE, leaving ie->meshconfig NULL and triggering a kernel NULL pointer dereference.
The other two callers are already safe: - ieee80211meshrxbcnpresp() checks !elems->meshconfig before calling meshmatcheslocal() - meshplinkgetevent() is only reached through meshprocessplinkframe(), which checks !elems->meshconfig, too
meshrxcsaframe() is the only caller that passes raw parsed elements to meshmatcheslocal() without guarding meshconfig. An adjacent attacker can exploit this by sending a crafted CSA action frame that includes a valid Mesh ID IE but omits the Mesh Configuration IE, crashing the kernel.
The captured crash log:
Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address ... KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] Workqueue: eventsunbound cfg80211wiphywork [...] Call Trace: <TASK> ? pfxmeshmatcheslocal (net/mac80211/mesh.c:65) ieee80211meshrxqueuedmgmt (net/mac80211/mesh.c:1686) [...] ieee80211ifacework (net/mac80211/iface.c:1754 net/mac80211/iface.c:1802) [...] cfg80211wiphywork (net/wireless/core.c:426) processonework (net/kernel/workqueue.c:3280) ? assignwork (net/kernel/workqueue.c:1219) workerthread (net/kernel/workqueue.c:3352) ? pfxworkerthread (net/kernel/workqueue.c:3385) kthread (net/kernel/kthread.c:436) [...] retfromforkasm (net/arch/x86/entry/entry64.S:255) </TASK>
This patch adds a NULL check for ie->meshconfig at the top of meshmatcheslocal() to return false early when the Mesh Configuration IE is absent.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade to a fixed release to a version that resolves this vulnerability.
Fixed in 6.6.130.1-1
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-23396?
CVE-2026-23396 has been classified with a high severity due to the potential for NULL dereference issues.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23396?
To fix CVE-2026-23396, update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version where this vulnerability has been patched.
What is the impact of CVE-2026-23396?
The impact of CVE-2026-23396 may lead to application crashes or system instability when processing certain mesh configurations.
Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2026-23396?
CVE-2026-23396 affects specific versions of the Linux kernel that include the mac80211 subsystem but exact affected versions should be checked with the latest security advisories.
Is CVE-2026-23396 remotely exploitable?
CVE-2026-23396 is not remotely exploitable as it requires local access to the affected system to trigger the vulnerability.