CVE-2026-64117 wifi: mac80211: capture fast-RX rate before mesh reuses skb->cb
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mac80211 subsystem allows attackers to cause a denial of service or potentially execute code via crafted Wi-Fi mesh traffic.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-64117?
CVE-2026-64117 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jul 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: mac80211: capture fast-RX rate before mesh reuses skb->cb
ieee80211_invoke_fast_rx() reads RX status through IEEE80211_SKB_RXCB(skb), which aliases the same skb->cb storage that ieee80211_rx_mesh_data() reuses as IEEE80211_TX_INFO. In the unicast forward path, mesh_data does:
info = IEEE80211_SKB_CB(fwd_skb); memset(info, 0, sizeof(*info));
on the same skb the caller still names via rx->skb, then either queues the skb for TX (success) or kfree_skb()'s it (no-route) before returning RX_QUEUED. The caller's RX_QUEUED arm then calls sta_stats_encode_rate(status) on memory that is either zeroed (success path) or freed (no-route path). The latter is KASAN slab-use-after-free in ieee80211_prepare_and_rx_handle.
Fix by encoding the rate from status before invoking ieee80211_rx_mesh_data(), so the RX_QUEUED arm consumes a value captured while status was still backed by valid memory.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-64117?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-64117?
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-2026-64117 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-64117 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-92754, BELL-CVE-2026-64117, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-64117, GHSA-8c2f-6crq-prr9, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-64117, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-64117.