CVE-2026-98703: Linux Vulnerability

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: minstrel_ht: validate fixed rate index The fixed_rate_idx debugfs file is a plain u32 attribute, so any value can be written to it. minstrel_ht_update_stats() then copies the value into mi->max_tp_rate[] and mi->max_prob_rate, and minstrel_ht_set_rate() uses MI_RATE_GROUP()/MI_RATE_IDX() to index minstrel_mcs_groups[] (42 entries) and mi->groups[].rates[] (10 entries) with it. Writing e.g. 65535 selects group 4095 and rate index 15, far outside both arrays. The out-of-bounds entries are dereferenced and updated as struct minstrel_rate_stats (retry counts, etc.), so the invalid index corrupts adjacent kernel memory. With CONFIG_UBSAN_BOUNDS the access is reported as an array-index-out-of-bounds in minstrel_ht_set_rate(). Only a valid group/rate pair, or U32_MAX to disable fixed rate processing, can be used safely, so reject any other value when the debugfs file is written. The file is only reachable through a root-only debugfs mount, so this is not a privilege boundary. The out-of-bounds access is still a bug that must not be reachable through a writable debugfs attribute.

Metrics

EPSS Probability

0.20%

9.8th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < 63097bf1b7f17f14bd9ffcae6590c63272da8bb0; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < 9b685cfb5cc8ed57991b1a956b06c6658d7cf455; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < eebc70f132041b35da9ec74d5d395083125289b2; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < f8ab6ae1fa360b0191252677f41e781dcb0ffe6e; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < 42aa9feb27b600809414a3c6b0c650bafba542a9; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < 43082d604a9937b94ceb2e484403956d0f363324; >= 24f7580e852b5472b51eea322bb78454df0054b8, < 15fb9e3cea55fbc378261ce35a32b0f8828f0000
Linux	Linux	3.1

References

Timeline

Published: Oct 18, 2026
Last Modified: Oct 30, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98703?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: minstrel_ht: validate fixed rate index The fixed_rate_idx debugfs file is a plain u32 attribute, so any value can be written to it. minstrel_ht_update_stats() then copies the value into mi->max_tp_rate[] and mi->max_prob_rate, and minstrel_ht_set_rate() uses MI_RATE_GROUP()/MI_RATE_IDX() to index minstrel_mcs_groups[] (42 entries) and mi->groups[].rates[] (10 entries) with it. Writing e.g. 65535 selects group 4095 and rate index 15, far outside both arrays. The out-of-bounds entries are dereferenced and updated as struct minstrel_rate_stats (retry counts, etc.), so the invalid index corrupts adjacent kernel memory. With CONFIG_UBSAN_BOUNDS the access is reported as an array-index-out-of-bounds in minstrel_ht_set_rate(). Only a valid group/rate pair, or U32_MAX to disable fixed rate processing, can be used safely, so reject any other value when the debugfs file is written. The file is only reachable through a root-only debugfs mount, so this is not a privilege boundary. The out-of-bounds access is still a bug that must not be reachable through a writable debugfs attribute.

How severe is CVE-2026-98703?

Severity scoring for CVE-2026-98703 is pending analysis. The EPSS model estimates a 0.20% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-98703?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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