# CVE-2026-98828: Linux kernel ath9k WMI response buffer read overflow

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-98828-in-the-linux-kernel-the-following-vulnerability-has-been-resolved  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-18. Updated: 2026-10-18  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-98828 · Severity: info · Published 2026-10-18

The Linux kernel's ath9k WiFi driver processes wireless management interface (WMI) command responses from network devices. A malicious or malfunctioning device can send a response shorter than expected, causing the driver to read memory beyond the allocated response buffer. This could leak sensitive kernel memory or cause a system crash.

Technologies: [Linux kernel](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/x-linux-kernel).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-98828 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-98828 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-98828?** Informational severity, published 18 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Linux kernel prior to upstream commit 93ce8ea70451e800601bc9444aa33043de15d67b.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-98828?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-98828 attacked?** It is attacked from the adjacent network or over the network, in an operating system.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-98828?** Check whether you run Linux kernel at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The ath9k_wmi_rsp_callback() function in the wireless driver fails to validate that the device response is at least as long as the expected response before copying data via memcpy(). An attacker controlling or spoofing a network device can trigger an out-of-bounds read in the kernel's memory by sending truncated WMI responses. The fix adds a length check before the copy and propagates error status back to the caller.

## Affected products

- Linux kernel prior to upstream commit 93ce8ea70451e800601bc9444aa33043de15d67b

## Timeline

- 2026-10-18: disclosed

## References

- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03ef61d05aa26022327f971b790f07e6bf6e35d6](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/03ef61d05aa26022327f971b790f07e6bf6e35d6)
- [https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93ce8ea70451e800601bc9444aa33043de15d67b](https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/93ce8ea70451e800601bc9444aa33043de15d67b)

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