CVE-2026-31695 wifi: virt_wifi: remove SET_NETDEV_DEV to avoid use-after-free
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's virt_wifi driver allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via ethtool operations.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-31695?
CVE-2026-31695 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 1 May 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: virt_wifi: remove SET_NETDEV_DEV to avoid use-after-free
Currently we execute `SET_NETDEV_DEV(dev, &priv->lowerdev->dev)` for the virt_wifi net devices. However, unregistering a virt_wifi device in netdev_run_todo() can happen together with the device referenced by SET_NETDEV_DEV().
It can result in use-after-free during the ethtool operations performed on a virt_wifi device that is currently being unregistered. Such a net device can have the `dev.parent` field pointing to the freed memory, but ethnl_ops_begin() calls `pm_runtime_get_sync(dev->dev.parent)`.
Let's remove SET_NETDEV_DEV for virt_wifi to avoid bugs like this:
================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0 Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810cfc46f8 by task pm/606
Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x4d/0x70 print_report+0x170/0x4f3 ? __pfx__raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x10/0x10 kasan_report+0xda/0x110 ? __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0 ? __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0 __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0 ethnl_ops_begin+0x49/0x270 ethnl_set_features+0x23c/0xab0 ? __pfx_ethnl_set_features+0x10/0x10 ? kvm_sched_clock_read+0x11/0x20 ? local_clock_noinstr+0xf/0xf0 ? local_clock+0x10/0x30 ? kasan_save_track+0x25/0x60 ? __kasan_kmalloc+0x7f/0x90 ? genl_family_rcv_msg_attrs_parse.isra.0+0x150/0x2c0 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1e7/0x2c0 ? __pfx_genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_cred_has_capability.isra.0+0x10/0x10 ? stack_trace_save+0x8e/0xc0 genl_rcv_msg+0x411/0x660 ? __pfx_genl_rcv_msg+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_ethnl_set_features+0x10/0x10 netlink_rcv_skb+0x121/0x380 ? __pfx_genl_rcv_msg+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_netlink_rcv_skb+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_down_read+0x10/0x10 genl_rcv+0x23/0x30 netlink_unicast+0x60f/0x830 ? __pfx_netlink_unicast+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx___alloc_skb+0x10/0x10 netlink_sendmsg+0x6ea/0xbc0 ? __pfx_netlink_sendmsg+0x10/0x10 ? __futex_queue+0x10b/0x1f0 ____sys_sendmsg+0x7a2/0x950 ? copy_msghdr_from_user+0x26b/0x430 ? __pfx_____sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_copy_msghdr_from_user+0x10/0x10 ___sys_sendmsg+0xf8/0x180 ? __pfx____sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_futex_wait+0x10/0x10 ? fdget+0x2e4/0x4a0 __sys_sendmsg+0x11f/0x1c0 ? __pfx___sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10 do_syscall_64+0xe2/0x570 ? exc_page_fault+0x66/0xb0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f </TASK>
This fix may be combined with another one in the ethtool subsystem: https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/T/#u
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-31695?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-31695?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-31695 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-31695 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-31695, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-31695, GHSA-5qrg-p9jr-4m22, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-31695, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-31695, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-31695.