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Response snapshot Oct 30, 2026, 19:11 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-90398

Linux kernel: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse() Currently, in ath11k_wmi_tlv_mac_phy_caps_parse(), kcalloc() sizes the mac_phy_caps buffer as tot_phy_id * len, where len is clamped to min(firmware_len, sizeof(struct wmi_mac_phy_capabilities)).

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
8.4 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.1% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-90398 (opens a new tab)

What happened

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

wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse()

Currently, in ath11k_wmi_tlv_mac_phy_caps_parse(), kcalloc() sizes the mac_phy_caps buffer as tot_phy_id * len, where len is clamped to min(firmware_len, sizeof(struct wmi_mac_phy_capabilities)). The subsequent memcpy() destination advances by sizeof(full struct) per slot via C pointer arithmetic, not by the clamped len. When firmware sends short TLVs, the second and later slots are written past the end of the allocation.

The reader in ath11k_pull_mac_phy_cap_svc_ready_ext() also indexes the buffer with full-struct pointer arithmetic, so the allocation must match that stride.

Continue reading

Fix by using kzalloc_objs(), which derives the element size from the pointer type, making allocation size and pointer stride provably consistent regardless of what len the firmware provides.

Compile tested only.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

8.4

Version 3.1As of

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.1%

Scored Percentile 3.5%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-90398 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-90398, scored 2026-10-30. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, October 30). Linux kernel: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse() (CVE-2026-90398). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-90398

MLA

"Linux kernel: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse() (CVE-2026-90398)." KEVWire, 30 Oct. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-90398.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse() (CVE-2026-90398)." Last modified October 30, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-90398.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse() (Sep 17, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath11k: fix stride mismatch in mac_phy_caps_parse()

Currently, in ath11k_wmi_tlv_mac_phy_caps_parse(), kcalloc() sizes the
mac_phy_caps buffer as tot_phy_id * len, where len is clamped to
min(firmware_len, sizeof(struct wmi_mac_phy_capabilities)). The subsequent
memcpy() destination advances by sizeof(full struct) per slot via C
pointer arithmetic, not by the clamped len. When firmware sends short
TLVs, the second and later slots are written past the end of the
allocation.
CVSS 8.4 (version 3.1; evidence as of Oct 30, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90398).
EPSS 0.1% for the following 30 days, scored Oct 30, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-90398&date=2026-10-30).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-90398: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-90398
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T13:06:45.042Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:50:57.069Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=1000
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T12:22:16.957Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T14:05:57.373Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=1000
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-10-30T11:45:59.009Z&lastModEndDate=2026-10-30T13:20:57.281Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=1000
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-90398&date=2026-10-30
Record ID: CVE-2026-90398.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Oct 30, 2026, 14:52 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Received. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

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Record details

Record detail