Vulnerability in Linux
CVE-2026-68126
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mac802154: hold an interface reference across the scan worker mac802154_scan_worker() captures the scanning sub-interface under RCU and then keeps dereferencing sdata->dev after rcu_read_unlock() and outside the rtnl -- in the failure traces, in mac802154_transmit_beacon_req() (skb->dev = sdata->dev), and in the end_scan cleanup. Nothing keeps that netdev alive across the worker iteration. A concurrent DEL_INTERFACE or PHY removal can unregister the interface once the worker drops the rtnl between its two drv_set_channel() sections. unregister_netdevice() frees the netdev asynchronously from netdev_run_todo() with the rtnl already dropped, so neither holding the rtnl nor the per-PHY IEEE802154_IS_SCANNING flag prevents a stale worker iteration from dereferencing the freed netdev -- a KASAN slab-use-after-free, reachable by racing TRIGGER_SCAN against DEL_INTERFACE (both CAP_NET_ADMIN). Pin the netdev with netdev_hold() while the RCU read lock is still held, and release it at every worker exit.
Published · last modified .
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.002 (7.3th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 7th percentile — 7.3% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.002 · newest: 0.002 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- Linux — versions 7.1.6, 7.2, 6.18.42