CVE-2026-98698: Linux kernel · wifi: mac80211: handle empty FILS association request payload
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.7 Medium.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 04:57 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 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 for this vulnerability is available in updated Linux kernel versions listed as affected. Users should apply the official kernel updates provided by their Linux distribution or vendor to remediate this issue. No additional mitigations are specified or required beyond applying the patch.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mac80211 wifi component allows improper handling of empty FILS association request payloads. This can lead to a kernel BUG or passing invalid data to the crypto backend during AES-SIV encryption. The issue occurs because the code does not properly handle zero-length plaintext in the FILS Session element of (Re)Association Request frames.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-98698 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98698 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/20f939b0c151d1d28e6b62a76b2454fa6fe877f2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/452f1c9b76f7a122bbc4630b9691bda4809677c4 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5bfd4b0b40b79781d900cb2f7da0685070f53c67 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2f5b62f6534d336a62fdb9e88b186dd70b4323ef (opens in a new tab)