CVE-2026-31394: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mac80211: fix crash in ieee80211_chan_bw_change for AP_VLAN stations ieee80211_chan_bw_change() iterates all stations and accesses link->reserved.oper via sta->sdata->link[link_id]. For stations on AP_VLAN interfaces (e.g. 4addr WDS clients), sta->sdata points to the VLAN sdata, whose link never participates in chanctx reservations. This leaves link->reserved.oper zero-initialized with chan == NULL, causing a NULL pointer dereference in __ieee80211_sta_cap_rx_bw() when accessing chandef->chan->band during CSA. Resolve the VLAN sdata to its parent AP sdata using get_bss_sdata() before accessing link data. [also change sta->sdata in ARRAY_SIZE even if it doesn't matter]

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-31394, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
• Reference
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• Reference