mac80211: Potential Double Free on Mesh Join

Kernel Updated 02 Oct 2025

Summary

24/04/2022

Disclosed on

N/A

Severity

No i

Fix available

Unrated

Severity

Not published

CVSS Score

GSD-2022-1001329: mac80211: fix potential double free on mesh join. Affects Kernel versions >= 6a01afcf8468d3ca2bd8bbb27503f60dcf643b20, < 46bb87d40683337757a2f902fcd4244b32bb4e86. No fix is published. How to fix ↓

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Background

The mac80211 package is a subsystem in the Linux Kernel that provides the implementation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking stack. It is responsible for managing wireless network interfaces and handling various operations related to wireless communication. The package is widely used in Linux-based systems to enable wireless connectivity.

However, a vulnerability has been discovered in mac80211 that could lead to a potential double free on mesh join. This vulnerability was introduced in version v5.8 of the Linux Kernel and has been fixed in version v5.17.1. The impact and attack plausibility of this vulnerability have not been proven yet.

Vulnerability Detail

The vulnerability in mac80211 arises from a potential double free on mesh join. When a device joins a mesh network, there is a possibility of a double free scenario, where memory is freed twice, leading to undefined behavior and potential security risks. The exact impact of this vulnerability is yet to be determined, but it could potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial-of-service condition.

The vulnerability was introduced in version v5.8 of the Linux Kernel and has been fixed in version v5.17.1 by commit 46bb87d40683337757a2f902fcd4244b32bb4e86.

How To Fix

No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.

To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.17.1 or later. This update includes the necessary patch to address the potential double free on mesh join issue. Users can obtain the updated version of the Linux Kernel from the official repository at https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git/.

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Conclusion

The mac80211 package in the Linux Kernel is vulnerable to a potential double free on mesh join. This vulnerability was introduced in version v5.8 and has been fixed in version v5.17.1. To mitigate the risk, it is crucial to update the Linux Kernel to the latest version. For further support and assistance in vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.

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