CVE-2026-68408
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: cfg80211: convert pmsr_free_wk to wiphy_work to fix deadlock
When a netlink socket that owns a PMSR session is closed, cfg80211_release_pmsr() clears the request's nl_portid and queues pmsr_free_wk to call cfg80211_pmsr_process_abort() asynchronously.
If the interface tears down concurrently, cfg80211_pmsr_wdev_down() is called under wiphy_lock and calls cancel_work_sync(&pmsr_free_wk) to wait for any running work. The work function acquires wiphy_lock via guard(wiphy) before calling process_abort.
This is a deadlock: wdev_down holds wiphy_lock and blocks inside cancel_work_sync(); pmsr_free_wk blocks trying to acquire that same wiphy_lock. Neither thread can proceed.
The same deadlock is reachable from cfg80211_leave_locked(), which calls cfg80211_pmsr_wdev_down() for all interface types under wiphy_lock.
Fix this by converting pmsr_free_wk from a plain work_struct to a wiphy_work. The wiphy_work dispatcher holds wiphy_lock when running work items, so the explicit guard(wiphy) in the work function is no longer needed. wiphy_work_cancel() can be called safely while holding wiphy_lock - since wiphy_lock prevents the work from running concurrently, wiphy_work_cancel() never blocks, eliminating the deadlock.
Remove the cancel_work_sync() for pmsr_free_wk from the NETDEV_GOING_DOWN handler. cfg80211_leave(), called unconditionally just before it, already cancels any pending work under wiphy_lock via wiphy_work_cancel() inside cfg80211_pmsr_wdev_down().
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
Affected products
15- osv-coords14 versionspkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-source&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-syms&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:linux/kernelpkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-azure&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-default&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/dtb-aarch64&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-64kb&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-kvmsmall&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-zfcpdump&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-default-base&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-docs&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-obs-build&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-obs-qa&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-rt&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2016.0
< 6.12.0-160000.38.1+ 13 more
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.1.191
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1.160000.2.22
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.12.0-160000.38.1
Patches
Vulnerability mechanics
References
6- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a77d9fb4d5c0e01306cd406ffdee8f1fe955c0envd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/133684982dd0c24359fcc641d19d89cc17d6e5efnvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/21512b5f7a74fd18c996c22e6854efe57d570816nvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/2b0eab425e1f658d8fe1df7590e3b9af5959505envd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/30c67926d41c456809857976cd3cd71b2290e0c1nvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/efe47df4de5e3e19b0670c5f2f67bdc4c9dc02afnvd
News mentions
1- Linux Kernel: 25 Vulnerabilities Patched in Single August 10th DisclosureVypr Intelligence · Aug 10, 2026