CVE-2026-43213 Linux CVE debrief

Who should care

Linux system administrators and users with affected kernel versions should assess their exposure and apply patches as needed. This vulnerability may impact systems using the affected driver, potentially leading to system instability. Linux kernel developers and maintainers should also review the vulnerability and apply patches as needed.

Why it matters

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel's wifi rtw89 pci driver can cause system instability and requires patching for affected versions.

• Potential system crashes due to NULL pointer dereferences
• Need to verify affected kernel versions and apply patches

Technical summary

The Linux kernel's wifi rtw89 pci driver does not validate the sequence number of TX release reports, potentially causing a NULL pointer dereference. This vulnerability can be triggered when the driver receives a TX release report with an abnormal sequence number, causing it to access out-of-bounds of the wd_ring->pages array. The vulnerability has been resolved in the Linux kernel. Linux system administrators and users with affected kernel versions should assess their exposure and apply patches as needed. The vulnerability can be mitigated by applying patches for affected versions.

Defensive priority

Assess exposure and apply patches for Linux kernel versions with the affected driver.

Recommended defensive actions

• Assess Linux kernel versions for exposure
• Apply patches for affected versions
• Monitor system logs for potential NULL pointer dereferences
• Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record and source item provide details on the vulnerability, including a stack trace and affected versions. The Linux kernel's wifi rtw89 pci driver does not validate the sequence number of TX release reports, potentially causing a NULL pointer dereference. The vulnerability has been resolved in the Linux kernel. Defenders should verify affected kernel versions and apply patches. The CVE record was published on 2026-05-06T11:28:15.998Z and has not been modified since then.

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.