NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-98182
Published: October 7, 2026
Vulnerability identifier: #VU153837
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 6.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-98182
CWE-ID: CWE-476
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local privileged user to cause a denial of service.
The vulnerability exists due to a null pointer dereference in mac80211 monitor-interface handling and the ath9k driver when activating a monitor interface without a transmit queue. A local privileged user can set the active flag on a down monitor interface and then bring the interface up to cause a denial of service.
Exploitation requires the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability. The RTNL lock remains held, causing subsequent netlink operations to block.
Affected software
Linux kernel
Debian Linux
linux (Debian package)
Debian Linux
linux (Debian package)
How to mitigate CVE-2026-98182
Install security update from vendor's repository.
Linux kernel - update to 7.0 rc3
linux (Debian package) - update to 6.12.113-1
linux (Debian package) - update to 6.12.113-1