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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-108683

| CVE-2026-98889 HIGH
2026-10-23 Linux GHSA-2587-vvww-5v6h
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Obtain local CAP_NET_ADMIN access
  2. Exploit
    Submit scheduled scan with oversized IEs
  3. Execution
    Overflow fixed preq probe buffer pre-check
  4. Impact
    Corrupt kernel memory for escalation/DoS

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires: (1) a Linux host running the iwlwifi mvm driver, i.e. an Intel wireless adapter using mvm firmware; (2) local access with the privilege needed to start a scheduled scan via the nl80211 scheduled-scan interface (CAP_NET_ADMIN), consistent with the CVSS PR:L; and (3) the ability to supply oversized information elements in that scheduled-scan request so they are copied into the fixed preq buffer before the iwl_mvm_scan_fits() length validation. Limiting factors that reduce realistic risk: the attack is purely LOCAL (not network-reachable), it needs a privileged capability rather than an ordinary unprivileged user, it is confined to systems with the affected Intel hardware/driver, and it is fixed on patched stable kernels. No user interaction is required (UI:N).

Impact

This is a high-severity (CVSS 7.8) local kernel memory-corruption flaw whose real-world urgency is moderate, not critical. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H is internally consistent with the description: exploitation is LOCAL (AV:L) and requires some privilege (PR:L) because building the oversized information elements requires issuing a scheduled-scan request, which on Linux needs the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability - it is not remotely reachable by an unauthenticated network attacker despite the high impact triple (C:H/I:H/A:H reflecting kernel-space corruption). The exploitation-probability signals point AWAY from urgency: EPSS is only 0.21% (11th percentile), the CVE is NOT on CISA KEV, and no public exploit or PoC reference is present in the input - so the status is 'no public exploit identified at time of analysis.' The vuln.today decision label is 'this_week' (not act_now/emergency), consistent with a patchable local-privilege kernel bug rather than a widely-exploited remote flaw. One cross-signal nuance: the 'Information Disclosure' tag understates the issue - the fixed-buffer overflow with I:H/A:H indicates out-of-bounds write / memory corruption, not mere disclosure, but this is a labeling nuance rather than a conflict in the core signals. No SSVC exploitation/automatable/technical-impact decision points were supplied, so that framework cannot be independently applied. Net: a genuine fix-this-cycle kernel hardening issue, not a drop-everything emergency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local user (or a compromised process) holding CAP_NET_ADMIN on a Linux host with an Intel iwlwifi-mvm wireless adapter issues a scheduled-scan request carrying deliberately oversized information elements. Because the probe request was built before the iwl_mvm_scan_fits() length check, the oversized IEs are copied into the fixed-size preq buffer before validation, overflowing kernel memory and enabling corruption that can lead to privilege escalation or denial of service. No public exploit or PoC is identified in the available data.

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

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 24, 2026

Oversized information elements supplied in an nl80211 scheduled-scan request can be copied into the fixed-size probe-request buffer of the Linux kernel's iwlwifi mvm driver, because the probe request is assembled before iwl_mvm_scan_fits() performs its length validation, allowing a local user holding CAP_NET_ADMIN on a host with an Intel wireless adapter running mvm firmware to corrupt kernel memory with potential confidentiality, integrity and availability impact (CVSS 7.8). The driver also under-advertised the usable scheduled-scan IE budget, so userspace limits did not account for the DS/TPC bytes the driver itself inserts. Exploitation is local and privileged rather than network-reachable, EPSS is low at 0.21%, and no public exploit code was identified at time of analysis; patches are available in the stable trees.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patches are available: update to Linux 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53 or 7.2 (or later) respectively for the affected stable and mainline branches, applying the corresponding stable commit identified in the EUVD ranges and linked from https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98889. Distributions shipping their own kernel builds should take the vendor's rebased kernel rather than tracking the upstream tag directly. If updating cannot be scheduled immediately, the only meaningful compensating control is to restrict the CAP_NET_ADMIN capability (and with it access to the nl80211 scheduled-scan interface) to fully trusted administrative processes, since the overflow is reachable only through that privileged path; the trade-off is that unprivileged network-manager tooling, container network setup and similar workflows that rely on CAP_NET_ADMIN will break, and this does not remove the bug for administrators themselves. Restricting local logins and unprivileged user namespaces that could grant CAP_NET_ADMIN in a new namespace reduces the set of potential triggers but does not replace the upstream fix, which the vendor treats as the complete resolution.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f2268060e99f94314b9988dfa17393c2694fa9b2
Linux patch: 7.2
Linux 0 <6.12.111
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4f155d262b31b9b17e0f9856bdabe0968eb4930f
Linux 0 <6.6.158
Linux patch: 5.15.222
Linux patch: 6.6.158
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <358eca9a898ad4cce7453e9dcfd005d019a2b01f
Linux 0 <6.1.189
Linux patch: 6.1.189
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0a63f98e5163a2ec2822dfb691ee5a6094de08ec
Linux 0 <5.15.222
Linux patch: 6.18.53
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a24417478f90e9f1a4ea24cd4b784afccb56fbae
Linux 0 <6.18.53
Linux patch: 6.12.111
Linux 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <05f79cea3b15cfe600b205ddcfd51ebee15d908a

Affected Packages

euvd linux fix: 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 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 mac80211-facing scan path of the Intel iwlwifi 'mvm' driver (the firmware/op-mode used by current Intel Wi-Fi adapters). Scheduled scan requests arriving over nl80211 can carry vendor/extra information elements; these are placed into a probe request built by iwl_mvm_build_scan_probe() into a fixed-size preq buffer. In the vulnerable ordering, that construction happened before iwl_mvm_scan_fits() checked whether the total IE length actually fit, so an oversized IE set could be written past the buffer's bounds. The fix moves iwl_mvm_build_scan_probe() after the fits check and additionally advertises max_sched_scan_ie_len via iwl_mvm_max_scan_ie_len() so the limit reported to userspace accounts for driver-inserted DS/TPC parameter bytes. The defect class is a missing-bounds/out-of-bounds write from validating length after use; no CWE was supplied in the source data and the trigger mechanics beyond the ordering of the build and fits calls are not further described. The CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H confirms local reachability, low attack complexity, a privileged (CAP_NET_ADMIN) actor, no user interaction, and unchanged scope.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.8 HIGH

Local-only kernel overflow triggered via privileged scheduled-scan configuration (CAP_NET_ADMIN) gives AV:L/PR:L; low complexity and no interaction; kernel memory corruption yields C/I/A High.

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

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

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Oct 24, 2026 - 14:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Oct 23, 2026 - 12:16 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 23, 2026 - 11:37 cve.org
HIGH 7.8
CVE Published
Oct 23, 2026 - 11:37 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

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

wifi: iwlwifi: mvm: fix sched scan IE sizing

Scheduled scan built the probe request before iwl_mvm_scan_fits(), so oversized IEs could be copied into the fixed preq buffer before length validation. Move iwl_mvm_build_scan_probe() after the fits check.

Also advertise max_sched_scan_ie_len using iwl_mvm_max_scan_ie_len() so userspace limits account for driver-inserted DS/TPC bytes.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A high-severity Linux kernel vulnerability in the iwlwifi mvm driver (CVE-2026-98889) affects systems with Intel wireless adapters. It allows a local user with elevated network privileges to corrupt kernel memory, potentially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability on affected machines. While exploitation requires local privileged access and no public exploit code exists, the risk to organizational endpoints and servers with Intel wireless hardware warrants immediate remediation.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 89% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Intel iwlwifi driver ships on most Linux laptops with Intel WiFi
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
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
High

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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