Skip to main content

iwlwifi mvm driver CVE-2026-93799

| EUVDEUVD-2026-86186 HIGH
2026-09-24 Linux GHSA-537c-46r9-4j6g
8.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Compromise or supply malicious adapter firmware
  2. Delivery
    Craft BA_WINDOW_STATUS notif with out-of-range sta_id
  3. Exploit
    Driver indexes fw_id_to_mac_id[] unchecked
  4. Execution
    Out-of-bounds read/deref
  5. Impact
    Kernel crash or limited info leak

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Requires the attacker to control the data in a BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION_ID message delivered from the WiFi adapter firmware to the host - i.e., a compromised or malicious Intel adapter/firmware, not a standard over-the-air 802.11 frame. The system must be running an affected iwlwifi mvm driver (Linux < 6.12.111 / < 6.18.53) with a supported Intel WiFi device present and active. Limiting factors: the malicious sta_id must exceed the fw_id_to_mac_id[] bounds to trigger the OOB access, the trust boundary crossed is firmware-to-kernel (raising the practical bar well above the AC:L/PR:N/AV:A the NVD vector implies), and the realistic impact is a kernel crash rather than reliable code execution.

Impact

This is another entry in the coordinated iwlwifi mvm hardening batch (siblings CVE-2026-93790/93793/93796), and its NVD CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/C:H/I:H/A:H) substantially overstates real-world risk. The vector claims adjacent-network, unauthenticated, high triple-impact - but the actual attack surface is a firmware-to-host trust boundary: BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION_ID is a message the Intel adapter firmware sends to the host driver, so the malicious 5-bit sta_id must originate from compromised/malicious device firmware, not from an over-the-air 802.11 frame. That makes AV:A misleading; a realistic vector is closer to AV:L/AC:H requiring control of the adapter firmware. The impact is an out-of-bounds array index into fw_id_to_mac_id[] used for a read/pointer dereference, which is crash-dominant (DoS) with at most limited information disclosure - not the C:H/I:H/A:H the vector asserts. There is NO EPSS score, NO CISA KEV listing, and NO public exploit code, consistent with a low-signal, non-weaponized janitorial fix. Bottom line: no public exploit identified at time of analysis; this is a defense-in-depth bounds check with low practical priority, patch it via normal stable-kernel update cadence rather than emergency response. Conflict to note: CVSS indicates adjacent network vector but the code path is a firmware notification handler implying a compromised-adapter/local prerequisite - verify trust model before treating as remotely reachable.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who has compromised the Intel WiFi adapter firmware (or supplies a malicious/tampered adapter) crafts a BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION with an out-of-range 5-bit sta_id; the unpatched mvm driver indexes fw_id_to_mac_id[] with that value without bounds checking, reading/dereferencing memory outside the array. The most likely outcome is a kernel oops (denial of service) or limited memory disclosure. No public proof-of-concept exists, and exploitation requires firmware-level control rather than a passive over-the-air frame.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Sep 25, 2026

Out-of-bounds array indexing in the Linux kernel's iwlwifi mvm wireless driver can crash the kernel and read a small amount of adjacent memory when a compromised or malicious Intel WiFi adapter firmware sends a BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION containing an out-of-range station ID. Systems running affected kernels before 6.12.111 or before 6.18.53 with an active Intel WiFi device are in scope, but the attacker must already control the firmware-side notification, so the NVD CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) substantially overstates real-world risk. No public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: Linux 6.12.111 and 6.18.53 (mainline 7.2) fix this issue via upstream commits bb08fbbbd5568d33069485ecb0a1657f115a4e9f, e35ae757c6462bfd3437bf58121bb721fe1f790c, and 6aa77efaea9efea92e3090c35ad348fd759a3cf3; update to the corresponding stable release from your distribution or apply those commits to your tree, consulting https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-93799 and the git.kernel.org stable links. Because the exploit path requires control of the firmware notification, the most effective compensating control is to harden the firmware trust boundary: enable UEFI Secure Boot with kernel lockdown so only signed Intel WiFi firmware can be loaded, and restrict firmware loading to vendor-signed images, accepting that this does not help if the signed firmware itself is malicious. On hosts that do not need Intel WiFi, blacklisting or unloading the iwlwifi module removes the attack surface at the cost of losing wireless connectivity; there is no practical way to filter BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION_ID messages from untrusted firmware, so patching remains the primary fix. Monitor kernel logs for faults in the iwlwifi mvm path as a detection signal for attempted exploitation.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 0 <6.18.53
Linux 0 <6.12.111
Linux patch: 6.18.53
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <6aa77efaea9efea92e3090c35ad348fd759a3cf3
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e35ae757c6462bfd3437bf58121bb721fe1f790c
Linux patch: 7.2
Linux patch: 6.12.111
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <bb08fbbbd5568d33069485ecb0a1657f115a4e9f

Affected Packages

euvd linux fix: 6.12.111, 6.18.53

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw lives in the iwlwifi mvm (mac80211-based) driver, which parses firmware-to-host notifications. BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION_ID carries a 5-bit sta_id value that is used directly to index the fw_id_to_mac_id[] array without validating it against the array size, producing an out-of-bounds read/index that can fault the kernel or expose a limited amount of adjacent memory. The root cause class is improper validation of an array index (CWE-129) leading to an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125); the intelligence tags label it a buffer overflow, though the assessed impact is consistent with an OOB index rather than a writable overflow. Critically, the notification arrives over the host-to-firmware command layer of the WiFi device, not as an over-the-air 802.11 management frame, so exploiting it requires crossing the firmware-to-kernel trust boundary via a malicious or compromised adapter firmware image. This is part of a coordinated iwlwifi mvm hardening batch alongside CVE-2026-93790/93793/93796, and the independent assessment (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H) correctly downgrades the AV:A/AC:L/PR:N vector to reflect that firmware control is the real prerequisite and that the realistic outcome is a kernel crash with only limited confidentiality loss.

Know when the next one hits your stack

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 8.8 HIGH
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 5.3 MEDIUM

Firmware-to-host trust boundary (not over-the-air) so AV:L/AC:H/PR:L; OOB read/deref yields crash (A:H) and at most limited disclosure (C:L), no integrity impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
SUSE 6.1 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H
Red Hat 5.5 MEDIUM

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Adjacent
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Sep 25, 2026 - 05:23 NVD
8.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Sep 24, 2026 - 17:03 EUVD
CVE Published
Sep 24, 2026 - 16:02 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)
CVE Published
Sep 24, 2026 - 16:02 cve.org
HIGH 8.8

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: iwlwifi: mvm: validate sta_id in BA window status notif

BA_WINDOW_STATUS_NOTIFICATION_ID extracts a 5-bit sta_id from the firmware notification and uses it to index fw_id_to_mac_id[] without bounds checking. Validate sta_id before array access to prevent out-of-bounds indexing.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A memory safety defect in the Linux kernel's Intel WiFi driver can cause system crashes and limited kernel memory exposure on devices with active Intel WiFi hardware. Leadership should care because affected endpoints, servers, or appliances running impacted kernel versions could suffer availability disruptions; however, exploitation requires an attacker to already control the WiFi adapter firmware, so the practical risk is lower than the headline severity. Vendor updates are available, and no public exploit identified at time of analysis.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 87% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Intel iwlwifi is one of the most common WiFi drivers, but only when hardware present
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Scheduled
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Controlled
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
Medium

Priority Score

44
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +44
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.

Vendor StatusVendor

SUSE

Severity: Moderate
Product Status
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15 SP7 Affected
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 16.0 Affected

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy