---
id: CVE-2026-98334
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails

  ieee80211_start_ap() can set enable_beacon (and beacon_int) and fail
  later, leaving it set forever
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails

  ieee80211_start_ap() can set enable_beacon (and beacon_int) and fail
  later, leaving it set forever. Scanning can the…
severity: medium
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 <
    d83da43e9b3b3b1bad99ac5a1065f1c63ad5fc32
  - >-
    Linux >= d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 <
    5d5ff5b36f5748a2a077f875a73ccb26860d3fcc
  - >-
    Linux >= d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 <
    6eac225f59c1c2277ac74f8a716d6df0ba3b8d28
  - >-
    Linux >= d6a83228823fc0cc8d79d95c9f0bf568b7317862 <
    3f28551d0241254a75626d868041c6340285088b
  - Linux 3.9
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-06T09:18:25.903'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98334'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f28551d0241254a75626d868041c6340285088b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d5ff5b36f5748a2a077f875a73ccb26860d3fcc'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6eac225f59c1c2277ac74f8a716d6df0ba3b8d28'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d83da43e9b3b3b1bad99ac5a1065f1c63ad5fc32'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98334.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98334'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2546442'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98334'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98334'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98334.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.402Z'
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-369
epss: 0.00175
epssPercentile: 0.06997
---

## Overview

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

wifi: mac80211: reset state when starting AP fails

ieee80211_start_ap() can set enable_beacon (and beacon_int) and fail
later, leaving it set forever. Scanning can then attempt to restore
beaconing on such an interface, leading to:

  Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI
  RIP: 0010:mac80211_hwsim_link_info_changed+0xca7/0xf00
  Call Trace:
   drv_link_info_changed+0x413/0x860 net/mac80211/driver-ops.c:495
   ieee80211_link_info_change_notify+0x24b/0x3c0 net/mac80211/main.c:427
   ieee80211_offchannel_return+0x381/0x580 net/mac80211/offchannel.c:160
   __ieee80211_scan_completed+0x993/0xe30 net/mac80211/scan.c:519
   ieee80211_scan_work+0x472/0x2010 net/mac80211/scan.c:1193
   cfg80211_wiphy_work+0x2b7/0x550 net/wireless/core.c:538

in hwsim. Also, cfg80211 then allows changing the interface type,
and the off-channel path getgs confused about beaconing as well,
leading to another warning:

  WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.c:468 at drv_link_info_changed+0x583/0x880
   ieee80211_link_info_change_notify+0x24b/0x3c0 net/mac80211/main.c:427
   ieee80211_offchannel_stop_vifs+0x328/0x5c0 net/mac80211/offchannel.c:122
   ieee80211_start_sw_scan net/mac80211/scan.c:583 [inline]
   __ieee80211_start_scan+0xfb6/0x1af0 net/mac80211/scan.c:882

Reset the state on failures to always have it correct.

## Remediation

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

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Low · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, … · updated 2026-10-18 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98334.json)