CVE-2026-98706

wifi: mac80211: drain PS delivery work during station teardown

Published Oct 18, 2026 CVSS 3.1 · 5.3 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: mac80211: drain PS delivery work during station teardown

Removing an AP or mesh station can notify the driver and wake TXQs after
the station has already been removed from the driver, and can update
num_sta_ps and the power-save queues after station cleanup has purged
them.

sta_deliver_ps_frames() tests sta->dead only before it starts delivery. A
worker that passes that test can be delayed while teardown sets sta->dead
and removes the station from the driver; when it resumes it still runs the
full delivery.

The existing cancel_work_sync() sits near the end of
__cleanup_single_sta(), after the final driver state transition and after
PS accounting and queue purging, so it drains the worker only once the
state it has to protect has already changed. Before commit d34ba2168a3c
("mac80211: don't delay station destruction") cleanup was deferred
through the same ordered workqueue as the delivery work, which kept the
two ordered.

Cancel the work after setting sta->dead and before moving the driver
state, and move the existing cancellation to the start of
__cleanup_single_sta(). The first drain closes the driver-lifetime window;
driver callbacks during the remaining state transitions can still queue
drv_deliver_wk through ieee80211_sta_block_awake(), so retain the second
drain at the start of __cleanup_single_sta(). That drain also covers
insertion failures, which reach cleanup without setting sta->dead.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Debian DLA Debian DLA DLA-4850-1 linux-6.12 security update
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-9018-2 Linux kernel (HWE) 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-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-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-367
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.3, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-416
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: drain PS delivery work during station teardown Removing an AP or mesh station can notify the driver and wake TXQs after the station has already been removed from the driver, and can update num_sta_ps and the power-save queues after station cleanup has purged them. sta_deliver_ps_frames() tests sta->dead only before it starts delivery. A worker that passes that test can be delayed while teardown sets sta->dead and removes the station from the driver; when it resumes it still runs the full delivery. The existing cancel_work_sync() sits near the end of __cleanup_single_sta(), after the final driver state transition and after PS accounting and queue purging, so it drains the worker only once the state it has to protect has already changed. Before commit d34ba2168a3c ("mac80211: don't delay station destruction") cleanup was deferred through the same ordered workqueue as the delivery work, which kept the two ordered. Cancel the work after setting sta->dead and before moving the driver state, and move the existing cancellation to the start of __cleanup_single_sta(). The first drain closes the driver-lifetime window; driver callbacks during the remaining state transitions can still queue drv_deliver_wk through ieee80211_sta_block_awake(), so retain the second drain at the start of __cleanup_single_sta(). That drain also covers insertion failures, which reach cleanup without setting sta->dead.
Title wifi: mac80211: drain PS delivery work during station teardown
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 30, 2026, 12:38 PM
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026, 10:25 AM
Status
Received
Published
Oct 18, 2026, 4:17 PM
Modified
Oct 30, 2026, 1:21 PM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Oct 18, 2026, 12:00 AM