{"id":"CVE-2026-98936","title":"wifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start","summary":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start\n\nWhen (multiple) hw restart occurs, we end up in a situation where we\ncannot accept new stations / mesh peers. Th…","severity":"none","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 60142eb2afda34508e640a3ff2a54c90e51525cc","Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c3ac51701e925e8d50479ae2fddca51a09f636e8","Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 9a9467f7cc633b31e4c34a2c56aa095e0c3fa853","Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c27779d3679c695674747744390f97a5424a0dc8","Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 7e0ad05ebc72fffba2bdf2400400902d94ed7272","Linux 5.6"],"published":"2026-10-23","updated":"2026-10-23","sourceUpdated":"2026-10-23T12:11:48.632Z","source":"CVEORG","sourceUrl":"https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98936","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/60142eb2afda34508e640a3ff2a54c90e51525cc"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c3ac51701e925e8d50479ae2fddca51a09f636e8"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a9467f7cc633b31e4c34a2c56aa095e0c3fa853"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c27779d3679c695674747744390f97a5424a0dc8"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7e0ad05ebc72fffba2bdf2400400902d94ed7272"}],"tags":["cve.org"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-23T13:24:55.564Z","slug":"CVE-2026-98936","body":"## Overview\n\nIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start\n\nWhen (multiple) hw restart occurs, we end up in a situation where we\ncannot accept new stations / mesh peers. This seems to be the\n'num_stations' in 'struct ath11k' that did not get reset properly in\nthis case. In ath11k_mac_op_start(), it was indeed the only accounting var\nthat did not get reset so let's clear it too.\n\nThis avoids problems like those:\n\n\t[1248828.088023] WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 12281 at net/mac80211/util.c:1682 ieee80211_reconfig_stations+0x98/0xc0\n\t[1248828.088115] Call trace:\n\t[1248828.088116]  ieee80211_reconfig_stations+0x98/0xc0 (P)\n\t[1248828.088119]  ieee80211_reconfig+0x774/0x1438\n\t[1248828.088123]  ieee80211_restart_work+0x10c/0x178\n\t[1248828.088127]  process_one_work+0x178/0x3c0\n\t[1248828.088130]  worker_thread+0x280/0x440\n\t[1248828.088133]  kthread+0xe0/0xf8\n\t[1248828.088137]  ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20\n\t[1248828.088141] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---\n\t[1248836.686604] ath11k_pci 0000:04:00.0: refusing to associate station: too many connected already (128)\n\t[1248836.686609] ath11k_pci 0000:04:00.0: Failed to add station: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx for VDEV: 1\n\nTested-on: QCN9074 hw1.0 PCI WLAN.HK.2.9.0.1-01977-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1\n\n## Affected\n\n- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 60142eb2afda34508e640a3ff2a54c90e51525cc`\n- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c3ac51701e925e8d50479ae2fddca51a09f636e8`\n- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 9a9467f7cc633b31e4c34a2c56aa095e0c3fa853`\n- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c27779d3679c695674747744390f97a5424a0dc8`\n- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 7e0ad05ebc72fffba2bdf2400400902d94ed7272`\n- `Linux 5.6`\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}