published August 10, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: mac80211: free AP_VLAN bc_buf SKBs outside IRQ lock
ieee80211_do_stop() removes AP_VLAN packets from the parent AP
ps->bc_buf while holding ps->bc_buf.lock with IRQs disabled. It then
calls ieee80211_free_txskb() before dropping the lock.
ieee80211_free_txskb() is not just a passive SKB release. For SKBs with
TX status state it can report a dropped frame through cfg80211/nl80211,
and that path can reach netlink tap transmit. This is the same reason
the pending queue cleanup in ieee80211_do_stop() already unlinks SKBs
under the queue lock and frees them after IRQ state is restored.
The buggy scenario involves two paths, with each column showing the
order within that path:
AP_VLAN management TX: AP_VLAN stop:
1. attach ACK-status state 1. clear the running state
2. queue a multicast SKB on 2. take ps->bc_buf.lock with IRQs
parent ps->bc_buf disabled
3. unlink the AP_VLAN SKB
4. call ieee80211_free_txskb()
Unlink matching AP_VLAN SKBs from ps->bc_buf under the existing lock,
but move them to a local free queue. Drop the lock and restore IRQ state
before calling ieee80211_free_txskb().
WARNING: kernel/softirq.c:430 at __local_bh_enable_ip