CVE-2026-93796 (GCVE-0-2026-93796)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-09-24 16:02 – Updated: 2026-09-25 12:43
VLAI
Title
wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free When iwl_pcie_tx_init() fails after RX init, nic init unwinds via iwl_pcie_rx_free(). The freed RX members stayed non-NULL on the live transport object, so later teardown or retry could touch stale RX state. Set rx_pool, global_table, rxq, and alloc_page to NULL after free to make repeated cleanup and retry paths safe.
Severity
7 (High)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: 9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2 , < 6ec5bf430cf7466cb412e47f2761594092781fac (git)
Affected: 9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2 , < 3456c5bcc987aeb182e50e30c9b02be8420e9953 (git)
Affected: 9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2 , < 2c79d7a7b583050c9f58041465cb46fe3483ab5d (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 5.12
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.12 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.111 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.53 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/gen1_2/rx.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "6ec5bf430cf7466cb412e47f2761594092781fac",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "3456c5bcc987aeb182e50e30c9b02be8420e9953",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "2c79d7a7b583050c9f58041465cb46fe3483ab5d",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
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        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/gen1_2/rx.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "5.12"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5.12",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.111",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.53",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.2",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.12.111",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.53",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "7.2",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "5.12",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free\n\nWhen iwl_pcie_tx_init() fails after RX init, nic init unwinds via\niwl_pcie_rx_free().\n\nThe freed RX members stayed non-NULL on the live transport object,\nso later teardown or retry could touch stale RX state.\nSet rx_pool, global_table, rxq, and alloc_page to NULL after free\nto make repeated cleanup and retry paths safe."
        }
      ],
      "metrics": [
        {
          "cvssV3_1": {
            "baseScore": 7,
            "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "scenarios": [
            {
              "lang": "en",
              "value": "AV:L - The dangling pointers are created in iwl_pcie_rx_free() when iwl_pcie_nic_init() unwinds a failed iwl_pcie_tx_init() after iwl_pcie_rx_init(). That runs from iwl_trans_pcie_start_fw() during iwl_mvm_start_get_nvm()/iwl_mvm_up() (PCI firmware callback or mac80211 drv_start), not from iwl_pcie_rx_handle() or any 802.11 frame parse.\nAC:H - iwl_pcie_nic_init() only calls iwl_pcie_rx_free() when iwl_pcie_tx_init() fails after a successful iwl_pcie_rx_init(). Reachable failures are ENOMEM in iwl_pcie_tx_alloc() or a non-power-of-two slots_num in iwl_queue_init(); the attacker cannot make RX allocation succeed and the subsequent TX allocation fail on demand.\nPR:L - iwl_op_mode_mvm_start() calls iwl_mvm_start_get_nvm() \u2192 iwl_run_init_mvm_ucode() \u2192 iwl_trans_start_fw() with no capable() check from iwl_req_fw_callback after PCI bind. A local unprivileged process on a host with iwlwifi is sufficient; init-namespace CAP_NET_ADMIN is not required to reach this unwind.\nUI:N - After iwl_pcie_rx_free() in the nic_init unwind, iwl_mvm_start_get_nvm() always calls iwl_mvm_stop_device() (and iwl_run_init_ucode() always calls iwl_trans_stop_device()), so iwl_pcie_rx_napi_sync() uses the stale rxq with no victim mount, file open, or association.\nS:U - The UAF and double-free of trans_pcie-\u003erxq, rx_pool, global_table, and alloc_page stay inside the host iwlwifi PCIe transport on the same kernel authority; this is not a KVM/Xen guest-to-host escape or an IOMMU/DMA bypass.\nC:H - iwl_pcie_rx_free() kfree()s rxq/rx_pool/global_table and __free_pages()s alloc_page without NULL, then iwl_pcie_rx_napi_sync() and _iwl_pcie_rx_init() dereference those freed objects; UAF of those slabs/pages enables arbitrary kernel read.\nI:H - _iwl_pcie_rx_init() writes the dangling rxq/rx_pool/global_table (list restock, netif_napi_add), and a later iwl_pcie_rx_free() from iwl_trans_pcie_free() double-frees the same kmalloc objects, giving a heap write/control-flow primitive.\nA:H - iwl_pcie_rx_napi_sync() walking a kfree\u0027d rxq, or a second iwl_pcie_rx_free() of the same pointers from iwl_trans_pcie_free(), is a kernel oops or panic."
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-09-25T12:43:02.785Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ec5bf430cf7466cb412e47f2761594092781fac"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3456c5bcc987aeb182e50e30c9b02be8420e9953"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c79d7a7b583050c9f58041465cb46fe3483ab5d"
        }
      ],
      "title": "wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
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  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-93796",
    "datePublished": "2026-09-24T16:02:29.478Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-09-18T17:59:28.789Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-09-25T12:43:02.785Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "date": "2026-09-27",
      "epss": "0.0012",
      "percentile": "0.01632"
    },
    "microsoft_vex": {
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-28T03:25:14.000Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "id": "msrc_CVE-2026-93796",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-09-28T03:25:14.000Z",
      "product_status:known_affected": "1",
      "source": "Microsoft CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free",
      "url": "https://msrc.microsoft.com/csaf/vex/2026/msrc_cve-2026-93796.json",
      "version": "1"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/gen1_2/rx.c"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "6ec5bf430cf7466cb412e47f2761594092781fac",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
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                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
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                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "9cf671d60fdbeb8f875859c11148cf13c326ada2",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "defaultStatus": "affected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/pcie/gen1_2/rx.c"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
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                    "version": "5.12"
                  },
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                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
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                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.12.111",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.18.53",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "7.2",
                    "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free\n\nWhen iwl_pcie_tx_init() fails after RX init, nic init unwinds via\niwl_pcie_rx_free().\n\nThe freed RX members stayed non-NULL on the live transport object,\nso later teardown or retry could touch stale RX state.\nSet rx_pool, global_table, rxq, and alloc_page to NULL after free\nto make repeated cleanup and retry paths safe."
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2026-93796",
        "lastModified": "2026-09-25T13:17:20.210",
        "metrics": {
          "cvssMetricV31": [
            {
              "cvssData": {
                "attackComplexity": "HIGH",
                "attackVector": "LOCAL",
                "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
                "baseScore": 7.0,
                "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
                "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
                "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
                "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
                "scope": "UNCHANGED",
                "userInteraction": "NONE",
                "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H",
                "version": "3.1"
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              "impactScore": 5.9,
              "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
              "type": "Secondary"
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        "published": "2026-09-24T17:17:12.383",
        "references": [
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            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3456c5bcc987aeb182e50e30c9b02be8420e9953"
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            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ec5bf430cf7466cb412e47f2761594092781fac"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "vulnStatus": "Received"
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-28T12:06:01+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "id": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-09-24T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "276",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: wifi: iwlwifi: pcie: null RX pointers after free",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-93796.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "suse_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "important",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-25T23:48:53Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "id": "CVE-2026-93796",
      "initial_release_date": "2026-09-24T23:47:39Z",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-93796",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2026-93796.json",
      "version": "3"
    }
  }
}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

Sightings

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Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
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  • Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.



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