wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue
A monitor interface only gets a TXQ if it's created active, and one can't
be added later. Setting the flag on a down interface is still allowed, so
the driver is handed a monitor with no queue. ath9k dereferences it:
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000066
RIP: 0010:ath_tx_node_init+0x49/0x170 [ath9k]
ath9k_add_interface+0x10c/0x140 [ath9k]
drv_add_interface+0x54/0x250 [mac80211]
ieee80211_do_open+0x32f/0x800 [mac80211]
Reached with CAP_NET_ADMIN by "iw dev X set monitor active" followed by
"ip link set X up". RTNL is held, so netlink operations block behind it.
Refuse the flag when there is no queue to give.
Analysis and contextual insights are available on OpenCVE Cloud.
No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.
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Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-476 |
Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue A monitor interface only gets a TXQ if it's created active, and one can't be added later. Setting the flag on a down interface is still allowed, so the driver is handed a monitor with no queue. ath9k dereferences it: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000066 RIP: 0010:ath_tx_node_init+0x49/0x170 [ath9k] ath9k_add_interface+0x10c/0x140 [ath9k] drv_add_interface+0x54/0x250 [mac80211] ieee80211_do_open+0x32f/0x800 [mac80211] Reached with CAP_NET_ADMIN by "iw dev X set monitor active" followed by "ip link set X up". RTNL is held, so netlink operations block behind it. Refuse the flag when there is no queue to give. | |
| Title | wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-10-06T08:44:25.219Z
Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.323Z
Link: CVE-2026-98182
No data.
Status : Received
Published: 2026-10-06T09:18:02.967
Modified: 2026-10-06T09:18:02.967
Link: CVE-2026-98182
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-10-06T16:00:03Z
-
CWE-476
NULL Pointer Dereference