CVE-2026-98424: wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails
Once all the interfaces have been moved, cfg80211switchnetns() moves the wiphy itself by setting its network namespace and then renaming it, which makes sysfs move it. The rename can fail (but only on allocation failures), leaving things mixed up and hitting the warning there.
Ignoring it isn't great, undo the move and let the change fail in this case. If undo fails then WARN, then things would again be stuck in two different network namespaces.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Compensating control
In cfg80211_switch_netns(), undo the wiphy network-namespace switch if renaming the wiphy fails, and issue a warning if the undo also fails.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Under what circumstances can this occur?
It can occur while moving a wireless device and its interfaces to another network namespace. The problematic path requires the wiphy rename to fail after its interfaces have already been moved; the description states that this rename failure is limited to allocation failures.
What is the potential operational impact of a failed rename?
Without successful rollback, the wireless device and its interfaces can be left split across different network namespaces. This condition triggers a warning and can leave the namespace change in an inconsistent state.
How can administrators identify a possible affected state?
A warning emitted during a wireless network-namespace move, particularly following a wiphy rename failure, indicates that the device may have been left across two network namespaces. The provided information does not specify a particular log message or detection command.