CVE-2026-98182
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue A monitor interface only gets a TXQ if it's created active, and one can't be added later. Setting the flag on a down interface is still allowed, so the driver is handed a monitor with no queue. ath9k dereferences it: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000066 RIP: 0010:ath_tx_node_init+0x49/0x170 [ath9k] ath9k_add_interface+0x10c/0x140 [ath9k] drv_add_interface+0x54/0x250 [mac80211] ieee80211_do_open+0x32f/0x800 [mac80211] Reached with CAP_NET_ADMIN by "iw dev X set monitor active" followed by "ip link set X up". RTNL is held, so netlink operations block behind it. Refuse the flag when there is no queue to give.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
4.15
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.12.112,
6.18.54,
7.2.8,
7.3-rc4
and their respective stable series.
References
4 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-98182?
CVE-2026-98182 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.15 onward and has been patched in 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and others. CVE-2026-98182 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98182?
Yes. CVE-2026-98182 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.15 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-98182 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-98182 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.