---
id: CVE-2026-46248
title: 'wifi: ath12k: clear stale link mapping of ahvif->links_map'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: ath12k: clear stale link mapping of ahvif->links_map

  When an arvif is initialized in non-AP STA mode but MLO connection
  preparation fails before the arvif is cre…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a <
    da289440f04c93048d82d293b180f1cacdfee2d9
  - >-
    Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a <
    acd8319e834be6790e449701cb6df0f636801977
  - >-
    Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a <
    2c1ba9c2adf0fda96eaaebd8799268a7506a8fc9
  - Linux 6.15
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-06T16:12:51.543711Z'
published: '2026-06-03'
updated: '2026-11-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-06T16:13:46.283Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46248'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da289440f04c93048d82d293b180f1cacdfee2d9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/acd8319e834be6790e449701cb6df0f636801977'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c1ba9c2adf0fda96eaaebd8799268a7506a8fc9'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00121
epssPercentile: 0.01932
ingestedAt: '2026-11-06T16:57:43.321Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath12k: clear stale link mapping of ahvif->links_map

When an arvif is initialized in non-AP STA mode but MLO connection
preparation fails before the arvif is created
(arvif->is_created remains false), the error path attempts to delete all
links. However, link deletion only executes when arvif->is_created is true.
As a result, ahvif retains a stale entry of arvif that is initialized but
not created.

When a new arvif is initialized with the same link id, this stale mapping
triggers the following WARN_ON.

WARNING: drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/mac.c:4271 at ath12k_mac_op_change_vif_links+0x140/0x180 [ath12k], CPU#3: wpa_supplicant/275

Call trace:
 ath12k_mac_op_change_vif_links+0x140/0x180 [ath12k] (P)
 drv_change_vif_links+0xbc/0x1a4 [mac80211]
 ieee80211_vif_update_links+0x54c/0x6a0 [mac80211]
 ieee80211_vif_set_links+0x40/0x70 [mac80211]
 ieee80211_prep_connection+0x84/0x450 [mac80211]
 ieee80211_mgd_auth+0x200/0x480 [mac80211]
 ieee80211_auth+0x14/0x20 [mac80211]
 cfg80211_mlme_auth+0x90/0xf0 [cfg80211]
 nl80211_authenticate+0x32c/0x380 [cfg80211]
 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0xc8/0x134

Fix this issue by unassigning the link vif and clearing ahvif->links_map
if arvif is only initialized but not created.

Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.5-01651-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

## Affected

- `Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a < da289440f04c93048d82d293b180f1cacdfee2d9`
- `Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a < acd8319e834be6790e449701cb6df0f636801977`
- `Linux >= 81e4be30544ee7e8da80e9aae7acd69d3be6d05a < 2c1ba9c2adf0fda96eaaebd8799268a7506a8fc9`
- `Linux 6.15`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.