CVE-2026-98192: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wcn36xx: Fix potential use-after-free in TX ack timer teardown wcn36xx_dxe

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wcn36xx: Fix potential use-after-free in TX ack timer teardown wcn36xx_dxe_deinit()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wcn36xx: Fix potential use-after-free in TX ack timer teardown wcn36xx_dxe_deinit() tears down the TX ack timer with timer_delete(), which only dequeues the timer and does not wait for a callback that is already executing; the preceding free_irq() calls synchronize the interrupt handlers only. The callback, wcn36xx_dxe_tx_timer(), can therefore be running past the teardown and use the wcn freed along with the ieee80211_hw in wcn36xx_remove(): it takes wcn->dxe_lock, reads wcn->tx_ack_skb and passes wcn->hw to ieee80211_tx_status_irqsafe(). Fix this by using timer_shutdown_sync(), which waits for a running callback and also prevents the timer from being rearmed again. The timer is set up again by wcn36xx_dxe_init() on the next start, so the start/stop cycle is unaffected. This issue was found by an in-house static analysis tool.

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.17%, higher than 6% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 28, 2026, updated daily.

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Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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