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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-46069

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.10.259 / 5.15.210 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mwifiex: fix use-after-free in mwifiex_adapter_cleanup() The mwifiex_adapter_cleanup() function uses timer_delete() (non-synchronous) for the wakeup_timer before the adapter structure is freed. This is incorrect because timer_delete() does not wait for any running timer callback to complete. If the wakeup_timer callback (wakeup_timer_fn) is executing when mwifiex_adapter_cleanup() is called, the callback will continue to access adapter fields (adapter->hw_status, adapter->if_ops.card_reset, etc.) which may be freed by mwifiex_free_adapter() called later in the mwifiex_remove_card() path. Use timer_delete_sync() instead to ensure any running timer callback has completed before returning.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis
How this class of weakness works · CWE-416

Memory is used after it has been freed, so its contents — now potentially attacker-controlled — drive the program's behaviour. With careful heap grooming this becomes code execution. The fix requires disciplined ownership of memory and often a targeted rework of the object lifecycle.

General guidance for the use after free class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 4.0, < 5.10.259>= 5.11, < 5.15.210>= 5.16, < 6.1.176>= 6.2, < 6.6.140>= 6.7, < 6.12.86>= 6.13, < 6.18.27>= 6.19, < 7.0.4

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.10.259 / 5.15.210 / 6.1.176 or later
Fixed in 5.10.2595.15.2106.1.176
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

Linux Kernel >= 5.10.259, >= 5.15.210, >= 6.1.176, or >= 6.6.140 (depending on branch)

  1. Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Determine which affected version range your kernel falls into based on the CVEs affected versions: >= 4.0, < 5.10.259; >= 5.11, < 5.15.210; >= 5.16, < 6.1.176; or >= 6.2, < 6.6.140
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to a fixed version: for 5.10.x branch upgrade to >= 5.10.259, for 5.15.x branch upgrade to >= 5.15.210, for 6.1.x branch upgrade to >= 6.1.176, or for 6.2+ branch upgrade to >= 6.6.140
  4. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel
  5. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version with `uname -r` and confirming the mwifiex driver loads correctly
  6. Alternatively, if patching directly, apply commit 030abbae49cf9fd1fba7aa08e15ec81efbeb78cf which changes timer_delete() to timer_delete_sync() in mwifiex_adapter_cleanup()
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebooting production systems; ensure compatibility with existing drivers and software stack before upgrading

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-46069 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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