VulnerabilityPublished 25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026

CVE-2026-97541: Linux kernel · wifi: ath9k_htc: don't store usb_device_id

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · fixed in c34aa59950597e3360e9cef9d08cdf4edb30ad4d : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

Severity

Unrated

Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 10% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch: Available – fixed in c34aa59950597e3360e9cef9d08cdf4edb30ad4d, 664ef8ce390fa6575c3a3dc003f9ccdd7cca9932, 14d2ac442d660e112efc0ce87ad10085013ed2b1 +3

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Sep 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.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < c34aa59950597e3360e9cef9d08cdf4edb30ad4d	Fixed in c34aa59950597e3360e9cef9d08cdf4edb30ad4d
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < 664ef8ce390fa6575c3a3dc003f9ccdd7cca9932	Fixed in 664ef8ce390fa6575c3a3dc003f9ccdd7cca9932
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < 14d2ac442d660e112efc0ce87ad10085013ed2b1	Fixed in 14d2ac442d660e112efc0ce87ad10085013ed2b1
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < 9d5e396578097d02e859798207db41ed4b831f50	Fixed in 9d5e396578097d02e859798207db41ed4b831f50
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < 8e70a6785bd02cf9ef7fd21ebccf46a8ba23014e	Fixed in 8e70a6785bd02cf9ef7fd21ebccf46a8ba23014e
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ 0ed7b93e307fd02188a33b80897069d3acc76485, < 8cb99d4a715939b9fcea3341b08eaf4b9e0cc44b	Fixed in 8cb99d4a715939b9fcea3341b08eaf4b9e0cc44b

AI-suggested

A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users should update to the fixed versions identified by the provided commit hashes to remediate this issue.

Description

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath9k_htc wireless driver involved storing a usb_device_id that may not persist beyond the probe phase due to dynamic IDs. The issue was resolved by changing the code to store only driver_data, which is reliably accessible from the usb_device structure.

Impact

The vulnerability could lead to incorrect handling of USB device identifiers in the ath9k_htc driver, potentially causing instability or incorrect device behavior. However, no known exploits in the wild have been reported, and the impact appears limited to internal kernel driver data management.

Summary

The Linux kernel's ath9k_htc driver previously stored usb_device_id during device probing, but this identifier is not guaranteed to persist because of dynamic USB device IDs. The vulnerability was addressed by modifying the driver to avoid storing usb_device_id and instead store only driver_data, which can be reliably retrieved from the usb_device structure. This change prevents potential issues related to stale or invalid device identifiers in the kernel.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 26 Oct 2026, 13:44 UTC

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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