---
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:

  wifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start

  When (multiple) hw restart occurs, we end up in a situation where we
  cannot 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'
---

## Overview

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

wifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start

When (multiple) hw restart occurs, we end up in a situation where we
cannot accept new stations / mesh peers. This seems to be the
'num_stations' in 'struct ath11k' that did not get reset properly in
this case. In ath11k_mac_op_start(), it was indeed the only accounting var
that did not get reset so let's clear it too.

This avoids problems like those:

	[1248828.088023] WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 12281 at net/mac80211/util.c:1682 ieee80211_reconfig_stations+0x98/0xc0
	[1248828.088115] Call trace:
	[1248828.088116]  ieee80211_reconfig_stations+0x98/0xc0 (P)
	[1248828.088119]  ieee80211_reconfig+0x774/0x1438
	[1248828.088123]  ieee80211_restart_work+0x10c/0x178
	[1248828.088127]  process_one_work+0x178/0x3c0
	[1248828.088130]  worker_thread+0x280/0x440
	[1248828.088133]  kthread+0xe0/0xf8
	[1248828.088137]  ret_from_fork+0x10/0x20
	[1248828.088141] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
	[1248836.686604] ath11k_pci 0000:04:00.0: refusing to associate station: too many connected already (128)
	[1248836.686609] ath11k_pci 0000:04:00.0: Failed to add station: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx for VDEV: 1

Tested-on: QCN9074 hw1.0 PCI WLAN.HK.2.9.0.1-01977-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

## Affected

- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 60142eb2afda34508e640a3ff2a54c90e51525cc`
- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c3ac51701e925e8d50479ae2fddca51a09f636e8`
- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 9a9467f7cc633b31e4c34a2c56aa095e0c3fa853`
- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < c27779d3679c695674747744390f97a5424a0dc8`
- `Linux >= d5c65159f2895379e11ca13f62feabe93278985d < 7e0ad05ebc72fffba2bdf2400400902d94ed7272`
- `Linux 5.6`

## Remediation

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