CVE-2026-98340

wifi: cfg80211: only group hidden BSSes with beacon entries

Published Oct 6, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: cfg80211: only group hidden BSSes with beacon entries

When a probe response for an unknown BSS comes in, __cfg80211_bss_update()
looks for an existing entry with the same BSSID and a hidden (zero-length
or NUL-filled) SSID, and if it finds one it groups them, using the beacon
IEs from the existing entry.

But that could find another entry without a beacon, if it was also from a
probe response (with SSID), so there's a group without beacon elements.

If a beacon with a hidden SSID for that BSSID arrives later,
cfg80211_combine_bsses() goes looking for the probe response entries that
belong to it - i.e. entries with the same BSSID and channel that have no
beacon IEs - and finds those two. They are already grouped with each
other, so it hits its

WARN_ON_ONCE(bss->pub.hidden_beacon_bss)
WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&bss->hidden_list))

which are there because an entry without beacon elements is not supposed
to be part of a group yet.

Only combine entries when a beacon was already received, ones that are
kept separate will be combined when a beacon arrives.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

Sign in to view the affected projects.

Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4841-1 linux security update
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4850-1 linux-6.12 security update
Debian DSA Debian DSA DSA-6568-1 linux security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-8961-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9019-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9020-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9022-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9023-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9024-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9025-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9026-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9029-1 Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9039-1 Linux kernel (Azure CVM) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9040-1 Linux kernel (Low Latency NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9066-1 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9091-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA Tegra) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-665
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-617
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-665
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: cfg80211: only group hidden BSSes with beacon entries When a probe response for an unknown BSS comes in, __cfg80211_bss_update() looks for an existing entry with the same BSSID and a hidden (zero-length or NUL-filled) SSID, and if it finds one it groups them, using the beacon IEs from the existing entry. But that could find another entry without a beacon, if it was also from a probe response (with SSID), so there's a group without beacon elements. If a beacon with a hidden SSID for that BSSID arrives later, cfg80211_combine_bsses() goes looking for the probe response entries that belong to it - i.e. entries with the same BSSID and channel that have no beacon IEs - and finds those two. They are already grouped with each other, so it hits its WARN_ON_ONCE(bss->pub.hidden_beacon_bss) WARN_ON_ONCE(!list_empty(&bss->hidden_list)) which are there because an entry without beacon elements is not supposed to be part of a group yet. Only combine entries when a beacon was already received, ones that are kept separate will be combined when a beacon arrives.
Title wifi: cfg80211: only group hidden BSSes with beacon entries
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
Oct 19, 2026, 9:17 AM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 6, 2026, 9:18 AM
Modified
Oct 19, 2026, 10:18 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 6, 2026, 12:00 AM