UBUNTU-CVE-2026-80641: Medium severity ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wlcore: enable the right set of ciphers The firmware version number check for IGTK introduced in commit c34dbc5900b0 ("wifi: wlcore: Add support for IGTK key") lets the amount of ciphers decrease on every boot of a too old firmware and that is practically happening. It also does not take into account other chips than the wl18xx. On some wl128x, the following can be observed when connecting via nm to a common ap: [ 484.113311] wlcore: WARNING could not set keys [ 484.117828] wlcore: ERROR Could not add or replace key [ 484.123016] wlan0: failed to set key (5, ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff) to hardware (-5) [ 484.123046] wlcore: Hardware recovery in progress. FW ver: Rev 7.3.10.0.142 [ 484.139923] wlcore: pc: 0x0, hintsts: 0x00000048 count: 1 [ 484.145721] wlcore: down [ 484.148986] ieee80211 phy0: Hardware restart was requested [ 484.610473] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 7.3.10.0.142) [ 484.633758] wlcore: Association completed. [ 484.690490] wlcore: ERROR command execute failure 14 [ 484.690490] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 484.700195] WARNING: drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c:872 at wl12xxqueuerecoverywork+0x64/0x74 [wlcore], CPU#0: kworker/0:0/892 This repeats endlessly. Always disable IGTK on wl12xx and fix the decrementing mess.
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.17~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.16~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hwe-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-38.38~24.04.4 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidia-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1024.25~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-38.38.1~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-38.38 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.17 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.16 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1014.14 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1008.9 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1015.15 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidia-bosto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-2022.23 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1015.15 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1013.13 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-38.38.1 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscvto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-38.38.1 - Configuration
Disable IGTK on wl12xx to prevent the cipher count from decrementing on each boot with firmware that is too old.
wl12xx IGTK = disabled
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systems are most likely to be affected?
Systems using the TI wlcore Wi-Fi driver are the relevant population, particularly devices with older firmware. The issue is observed on some wl128x hardware, and the faulty firmware-version check also fails to account for chips other than wl18xx.
What conditions trigger the failure?
The problem can occur when a device with too-old firmware boots repeatedly, because the enabled cipher set can decrease on each boot. An example failure was observed while connecting through NetworkManager to a common access point.
How can I tell whether a system is experiencing this issue?
Kernel logs may show messages such as "could not set keys," "Could not add or replace key," "failed to set key ... to hardware (-5)," and "Hardware recovery in progress." The wireless hardware may then restart, followed by firmware boot and association messages.
What is the operational impact?
The affected Wi-Fi hardware can fail while setting encryption keys and enter hardware recovery, causing a wireless restart. The reported vector indicates local access with low attack complexity and low privileges, while availability impact is high.