# CVE-2026-97492: wifi: mac80211: don't call ieee80211_handle_reconfig_failure when not needed

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel Wi-Fi subsystem allows attackers to cause denial of service or execute code via crafted NAN reconfiguration failures.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 24 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-103718, BELL-CVE-2026-97492, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97492, GHSA-v58j-jjc6-xcvv, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97492

## What is CVE-2026-97492?

CVE-2026-97492 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Sep 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: don't call ieee80211_handle_reconfig_failure when not needed

In case reconfiguration of NAN fails, we call
ieee80211_handle_reconfig_failure, that marks all interfaces as not in
the driver.
Then, at the error path of the reconfig, cfg80211_shutdown_all_interfaces
is called to destroy all the interfaces.

If we have any other interface but the NAN one, for example a BSS
station, then when its state (links, stations) will be removed, we
won't tell the driver about this, because we will think that the
interfaces are not in the driver, and then drivers might remain with
dangling pointers to objects like stations and links (at least for
iwlwifi this is the case).

ieee80211_handle_reconfig_failure is meant to be called after we cleaned
up the state in the driver, there is no reason to call it for NAN
reconfiguration failure.

Fix the code to just warn in such a case, as we do in other error paths
in reconfig where it is too complicated to rewind.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97492?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-97492?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-97492 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97492 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97492 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97492 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97492 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97492/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97492/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97492
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97492
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97492

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97492/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.