---
id: CVE-2026-98183
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: avoid out-of-bounds read for empty PREQ elements

  ieee80211_mesh_preq_size_ok() derives the location of the PREQ bottom
  fields before checking whether t…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: avoid out-of-bounds read for empty PREQ elements

  ieee80211_mesh_preq_size_ok() derives the location of the PREQ bottom
  fields before checking whether t…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 8b40b1d24a6099fe9fac8e207d4cb04ab5e0baae <
    3beddbd56946577478fd5e649f556aaaebe15b0a
  - >-
    Linux >= 8b40b1d24a6099fe9fac8e207d4cb04ab5e0baae <
    e6031f02269c0f51cf67886d177f02bc300b47cd
  - Linux 7.2
published: '2026-10-06'
updated: '2026-10-06'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-06T09:18:03.103'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98183'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3beddbd56946577478fd5e649f556aaaebe15b0a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e6031f02269c0f51cf67886d177f02bc300b47cd'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-06T08:50:17.452Z'
---

## Overview

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

wifi: mac80211: avoid out-of-bounds read for empty PREQ elements

ieee80211_mesh_preq_size_ok() derives the location of the PREQ bottom
fields before checking whether the element contains even the fixed
header. ieee80211_mesh_hwmp_preq_get_bottom() reads the flags byte to
account for the optional Address Extension field. Consequently, an
empty PREQ element causes a one-byte read beyond its declared payload.

Move the helper call after both size checks, so the bottom fields are
only accessed when they are present.

## Remediation

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