---
id: CVE-2026-98311
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: virt_wifi: don't transfer operstate before register

  virt_wifi_newlink() calls netif_stacked_transfer_operstate() before
  register_netdevice()
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: virt_wifi: don't transfer operstate before register

  virt_wifi_newlink() calls netif_stacked_transfer_operstate() before
  register_netdevice(). If the lower device…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    ee9ea1afd6990def51d52b3a0aecd5cfcc951da0
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    9ce26201f6dedf3fa02b97da8c67ee6f6c5f7225
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    f9526054c2b2cace5916b7225603d008834ec011
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    e8304e25c6dabb8accf38b807969438d0ce84fd7
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    ca49763c42c1089d654bf11b037980a9ede3772c
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    293c56a66510bb7de073a1aba388e38abddff1fb
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    b808a9af5fd21f9c68b0d024eda7535b5dce6a4e
  - >-
    Linux >= c7cdba31ed8b87526db978976392802d3f93110c <
    e5c8d7acd31b27057ea42cd405d0b3ece097bc89
  - Linux 5.0
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-07'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-07T07:17:08.473'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98311'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/293c56a66510bb7de073a1aba388e38abddff1fb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ce26201f6dedf3fa02b97da8c67ee6f6c5f7225'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b808a9af5fd21f9c68b0d024eda7535b5dce6a4e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca49763c42c1089d654bf11b037980a9ede3772c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5c8d7acd31b27057ea42cd405d0b3ece097bc89'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8304e25c6dabb8accf38b807969438d0ce84fd7'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee9ea1afd6990def51d52b3a0aecd5cfcc951da0'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9526054c2b2cace5916b7225603d008834ec011'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98311.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98311'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2546440'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98311'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98311'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98311.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - score-dispute
epss: 0.00135
epssPercentile: 0.02987
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.410Z'
cwe:
  - CWE-825
scores:
  nvd: 7.8
  vendor: 5.5
  cna: 7.8
---

## Overview

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

wifi: virt_wifi: don't transfer operstate before register

virt_wifi_newlink() calls netif_stacked_transfer_operstate() before
register_netdevice(). If the lower device is dormant, that queues the
new netdev on lweventlist while it is still uninitialized. If
registration fails after that, for example because of an invalid name
such as "bad/name", free_netdev() immediately frees the object. A
later linkwatch_fire_event() then use-after-frees the list entry.

Move the transfer to after netdev_upper_dev_link(), as macvlan and
ipvlan already do.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · updated 2026-10-09 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98311.json)