CVE-2026-98311: Linux kernel · wifi: virt_wifi: don't transfer operstate before register
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 2% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
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 6 Oct 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
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that changes the order of operations in the virt_wifi module to prevent use-after-free. Users should update to patched kernel versions. Since this is not a cloud service, remediation requires applying the updated kernel packages containing the fix.
Description
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's virt_wifi module was resolved. The issue occurs because the operstate transfer happens before the virtual WiFi device is fully registered, leading to a potential use-after-free if registration fails. This was fixed by moving the operstate transfer to after the device linking step.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-98311 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98311 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/e5c8d7acd31b27057ea42cd405d0b3ece097bc89 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/293c56a66510bb7de073a1aba388e38abddff1fb (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ce26201f6dedf3fa02b97da8c67ee6f6c5f7225 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b808a9af5fd21f9c68b0d024eda7535b5dce6a4e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ca49763c42c1089d654bf11b037980a9ede3772c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e5c8d7acd31b27057ea42cd405d0b3ece097bc89 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e8304e25c6dabb8accf38b807969438d0ce84fd7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee9ea1afd6990def51d52b3a0aecd5cfcc951da0 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9526054c2b2cace5916b7225603d008834ec011 (opens in a new tab)