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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-23185: Linux kernel · wifi: iwlwifi: mld: cancel mlo_scan_start_wk

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High : upgrade to 9b9f52f052f4953fecd2190ae2dde3aa76d10962 or 5ff641011ab7fb63ea101251087745d9826e8ef5 soon.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 3% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CISA SSVC
Exploitation
No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable
Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact
Total control over the software or total information disclosure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.

Patch
Available – fixed in 9b9f52f052f4953fecd2190ae2dde3aa76d10962, 5ff641011ab7fb63ea101251087745d9826e8ef5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 14 Feb 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade Linux kernel to 9b9f52f052f4953fecd2190ae2dde3aa76d10962 or 5ff641011ab7fb63ea101251087745d9826e8ef5.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 9748ad82a9d92b036ff3115207e36e2b9932e354, < 9b9f52f052f4953fecd2190ae2dde3aa76d10962
Fixed in
  • 9b9f52f052f4953fecd2190ae2dde3aa76d10962
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • ≥ 9748ad82a9d92b036ff3115207e36e2b9932e354, < 5ff641011ab7fb63ea101251087745d9826e8ef5
Fixed in
  • 5ff641011ab7fb63ea101251087745d9826e8ef5
LinuxLinuxAffected
  • =6.17
Fixed in–

AI-suggested

A fix for this vulnerability has been committed to the Linux kernel. Until patched, Red Hat recommends mitigating the issue by disabling the iwlwifi kernel module to prevent it from loading. This can be done by creating a file named /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-iwlwifi.conf containing 'blacklist iwlwifi' and rebooting the system. This mitigation disables Wi-Fi functionality on the affected system.

Description

CVE-2026-23185 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel's iwlwifi driver where a specific work item (mlo_scan_start_wk) is not properly canceled upon network device disconnection. This flaw can lead to use-after-free conditions, potentially allowing a local attacker with high privileges to cause a denial of service or execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability affects Linux kernel version 6.17. Mitigation involves disabling the iwlwifi kernel module, which disables Wi-Fi functionality. A fix has been implemented in later commits.

References

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