CVE-2026-98698

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's mac80211 wireless subsystem. When handling a Fast Initial Link Setup (FILS) association request frame with an empty payload, the system fails to validate zero-length plaintext before cryptographic processing. This issue causes an invalid memory reference to be passed to the encryption backend, which can trigger a kernel crash. An adjacent attacker within Wi-Fi range could exploit this vulnerability to cause a Denial of Service (DoS).

This vulnerability is evaluated with a Moderate severity rating because successful exploitation is constrained to adjacent wireless proximity and requires an active Wi-Fi interface configured to process FILS-based associations. Standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux deployments and container host platforms typically run on server hardware without physical Wi-Fi adapters or wireless access point services enabled. Consequently, default installations face minimal exposure unless explicitly configured with supported wireless hardware.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.