CVE-2026-31695: Linux kernel · wifi: virt_wifi: remove SET_NETDEV_DEV to avoid use-after-free
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 27 Oct 2026, 01:01 UTC
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 1 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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
AI-suggested
A fix is available that removes the SET_NETDEV_DEV call for virt_wifi devices to prevent the use-after-free condition. Users should apply the official Linux kernel patches that address this issue. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating to a fixed kernel version is the recommended remediation.
Description
CVE-2026-31695 is a use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's virt_wifi network device driver. It arises from the use of SET_NETDEV_DEV which can cause the dev.parent pointer to reference freed memory during device unregistration, leading to memory corruption during ethtool operations. This flaw has been addressed by removing the SET_NETDEV_DEV call for virt_wifi devices.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31695 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5adc01506da94dfaab76f3d1b8410a8ca7bfc59d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5bbadf60b121065ffb267ec92018607b9c1c7524 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/789b06f9f39cdc7e895bdab2c034e39c41c8f8d6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c5fa98842783ed227365d1303785de6a67020c8d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1e3aa80e6e04410ba89eaaba4441a0d749d181d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/dcb5915696bd7b32b6404a897c24ee47cb23e772 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e90f3e74e1ebc26c461a74be490d322716bcdcb4 (opens in a new tab)