UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98704: High severity ubuntu/linux-hwe-edge vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: keep fallback association elements alive Associating to a non-transmitted MBSSID profile reads freed memory while determining the operating channel and applying HT capabilities. When an association response omits WMM, HT, or VHT information, ieee80211assocconfiglink() parses the cached BSS IEs and copies the missing element pointers out of that fallback parse. For a non-transmitted MBSSID profile those pointers refer to merged-profile storage owned by the parse object, and the fallback block frees that object at its end. The copied pointers are used afterwards to determine the operating channel, configure bandwidth, and apply HT capabilities. Keep the fallback parse result alive until association setup finishes. [reorder variable declaration]
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1071.78~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibm-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscv-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149~22.04.2 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtime-6.8to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65~22.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.77 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1053.57 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.70 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-149.149.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.70 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1067.71 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1068.72 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscv-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1~24.04.2 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-vmwareto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1010.10 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.41 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-raspi-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-2056.58 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.1-1064.65 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1069.74+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.82+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1073.81+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.18 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1020.21 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1019.19 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1017.19 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1010.11 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oem-7.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1018.18 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-1016.18 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 7.0.0-43.43.1 - Compensating control
Keep the fallback parse result alive until association setup finishes, so copied association-element pointers remain valid while determining the operating channel, configuring bandwidth, and applying HT capabilities.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Which systems are exposed to this issue?
Ubuntu systems using the listed Linux kernel packages are in scope, including linux, linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-fips, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure-fips, linux-gcp-fips, and linux-realtime. Exploitation is tied to Wi-Fi association with a non-transmitted MBSSID profile.
What conditions are needed to trigger the vulnerability?
A user must initiate a Wi-Fi association, and the association response must omit WMM, HT, or VHT information so mac80211 falls back to cached BSS information. The target must be a non-transmitted MBSSID profile; the vulnerable fallback handling can then retain pointers to freed parsed-element storage.
What is the potential impact if exploitation succeeds?
The flaw causes freed memory to be read during association setup while determining the operating channel, configuring bandwidth, or applying HT capabilities. The supplied severity vector rates impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability as high.