---
id: CVE-2026-98406
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: avoid WARN in set_bitrate_mask when sdata not in driver

  ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() checks if the interface is running via
  ieee80211_sdata_running(), …
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: mac80211: avoid WARN in set_bitrate_mask when sdata not in driver

  ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() checks if the interface is running via
  ieee80211_sdata_running(), …
severity: none
published: '2026-10-14'
updated: '2026-10-14'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-14T14:17:51.710'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98406'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d1700394e9f5d0bd9bebad8d5a50edf983f52fd'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4095b66acae9893dd13deb39a4331651cb2f822b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/432c8532d5ccc2af77da43ed6ef1c80495a4efe8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ba86c44b2fcb1c3175caa2456b6d58f483446ab'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7978dda63d2b109ea9c3f7a096cd1aac6542cd54'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c2cd9c44777cf97be3e35c10b7c2d8f59ebb9306'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c4ee5685af444024e6222ce29f6ed36adc44ffc3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da2ca406f45a6e21760243152ed8d2e8e72915c2'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
ingestedAt: '2026-10-14T15:36:13.982Z'
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    4ba86c44b2fcb1c3175caa2456b6d58f483446ab
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    4095b66acae9893dd13deb39a4331651cb2f822b
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    c2cd9c44777cf97be3e35c10b7c2d8f59ebb9306
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    0d1700394e9f5d0bd9bebad8d5a50edf983f52fd
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    7978dda63d2b109ea9c3f7a096cd1aac6542cd54
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    432c8532d5ccc2af77da43ed6ef1c80495a4efe8
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    c4ee5685af444024e6222ce29f6ed36adc44ffc3
  - >-
    Linux >= 554a43d5e77e8256aa9685ffd19ad555e6f77979 <
    da2ca406f45a6e21760243152ed8d2e8e72915c2
  - Linux 3.5
---

## Overview

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

wifi: mac80211: avoid WARN in set_bitrate_mask when sdata not in driver

ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() checks if the interface is running via
ieee80211_sdata_running(), but it does not check if the interface is
still present in the driver.

When sdata is running but IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER is not set, the
call reaches drv_set_bitrate_mask() in driver-ops.h which hits

  wlan1: Failed check-sdata-in-driver check, flags: 0x0
  WARNING: net/mac80211/driver-ops.h:884 at drv_set_bitrate_mask

Syzkaller triggers this via wext SIOCSIWRATE ioctl. The Call Trace shows
wext_ioctl_dispatch() in wext-core.c dispatching the ioctl, calling
ioctl_standard_call() for SIOCSIWRATE, which calls cfg80211_wext_siwrate()
in wext-compat.c. That builds a bitrate mask and calls
rdev_set_bitrate_mask() which ends up in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() in
cfg.c. The interface is marked running via SDATA_STATE_RUNNING but
flags is 0, so check_sdata_in_driver() fails.

When the interface is being torn down, or when wext ioctl is issued
during interface bringup before drv_add_interface() sets IN_DRIVER, the
running check passes while IN_DRIVER is clear.

Check IEEE80211_SDATA_IN_DRIVER in ieee80211_set_bitrate_mask() before
calling the driver, returning -ENETDOWN. This avoids the WARN_ONCE in
driver-ops.h and matches other cfg.c operations that bail early when not
in driver.

This change should be safe because wiphy mutex is held in
cfg80211_wext_siwrate() via guard(wiphy), and IN_DRIVER is set/cleared
under RTNL and wiphy paths in drv_add_interface() and
drv_remove_interface() in driver-ops.c, so the check is race-free
against driver add/remove. Returning -ENETDOWN is the same error other
not-running paths use and does not introduce new locking.

[also add second syzbot report]

## Remediation

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