In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: reset ar->num_stations on hardware start When (multiple) hw… (CVE-2026-98936)

The Linux kernel's ath11k WiFi driver did not reset the 'num_stations' field in the 'struct ath11k' during hardware restarts, causing the system to incorrectly believe the maximum number of connected stations was reached. This resulted in failures to add new stations or mesh peers and kernel warnings related to station reconfiguration. The fix involves resetting 'num_stations' in the ath11k_mac_op_start() function to prevent these issues.

Affected systems could experience denial of new WiFi station or mesh peer associations after multiple hardware restarts, potentially disrupting wireless connectivity. Kernel warnings and errors related to station reconfiguration may also be observed. There is no indication of remote code execution or privilege escalation from this issue.

A fix has been implemented in the Linux kernel to reset the 'num_stations' counter on hardware start in the ath11k driver. Users should update to a Linux kernel version that includes this fix. Since no vendor advisory or patch link is provided, check the official Linux kernel release notes or distribution updates for the patched version.