CVE-2026-97516

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw88: Add NULL check for chip->edcca_th in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() It was recently reported that rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c dereferences rtwdev->chip->edcca_th without a NULL check. The issue is that devices with the 8821CE chip don't define edcca_th in their chip info. As a result, when rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() tries to dereference it, the kernel triggers an oops. Add a NULL check for edcca_th before dereferencing it in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c. Placing the check at the function entry avoids logging any garbage values. This change does not address the root cause for this behavior, but it prevents the NULL dereference and the resulting oops while a more permanent solution is developed. Tested on a 8822CE chip which defines edcca_th, so this issue is not present on it, but it still uses this driver and I can verify there are no regressions.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-24
Last modified 2026-10-03
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.16
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.189 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.158 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.111 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.53 6.18.x ✓ 7.2

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-97516?

    CVE-2026-97516 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.16 onward and has been patched in 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111 and others. CVE-2026-97516 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-97516?

    Yes. CVE-2026-97516 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-97516 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-97516 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.