CVE-2025-38512wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks
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No exploitation reported and no EPSS estimate yet.
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In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks This patch is a mitigation to prevent the A-MSDU spoofing vulnerability for mesh networks. The initial update to the IEEE 802.11 standard, in response to the FragAttacks, missed this case (CVE-2025-27558). It can be considered a variant of CVE-2020-24588 but for mesh networks. This patch tries to detect if a standard MSDU was turned into an A-MSDU by an adversary. This is done by parsing a received A-MSDU as a standard MSDU, calculating the length of the Mesh Control header, and seeing if the 6 bytes after this header equal the start of an rfc1042 header. If equal, this is a strong indication of an ongoing attack attempt. This defense was tested with mac80211_hwsim against a mesh network that uses an empty Mesh Address Extension field, i.e., when four addresses are used, and when using a 12-byte Mesh Address Extension field, i.e., when six addresses are used. Functionality of normal MSDUs and A-MSDUs was also tested, and confirmed working, when using both an empty and 12-byte Mesh Address Extension field. It was also tested with mac80211_hwsim that A-MSDU attacks in non-mesh networks keep being detected and prevented. Note that the vulnerability being patched, and the defense being implemented, was also discussed in the following paper and in the following IEEE 802.11 presentation: https://papers.mathyvanhoef.com/wisec2025.pdf https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/25/11-25-0949-00-000m-a-msdu-mesh-spoof-protection.docx
- CVSS
- 8.8 HIGH (v3.1, CNA)CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Weakness (CWE)
- Not given
- Known exploited
- Not in CISA's KEV catalog
- EPSS (exploitation in the next 30 days)
- Not loaded for this CVE
- Assigned by
- Linux
- NVD analysis
- Modified
- Record last updated
- Oct 15, 2026
- First seen by InfoSec Signals
- Oct 15, 2026
Affected products
Linux Linux linux:linux (from the name) | from 79720743421753ff72bfa0d79976c534645b81c1 before e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80; from 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 before ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd; from 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 before e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32; 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 builds before 6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de; 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 builds before 737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb; from 6.1.107 before 6.1.146 | CNA record |
linux linux_kernel linux:linux_kernel | from 6.1.107 before 6.1.146; from 6.3 before 6.6.99; from 6.7 before 6.12.39; from 6.13 before 6.15.7; 6.16; 6.16; 6.16; 6.16; and 1 more ranges | NVD |
debian debian_linux debian:debian_linux | 11.0 | NVD |
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cddpatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05depatch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fbpatch
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.htmlmailing-list, third-party-advisory
The CVE record on cve.org NVD's entry
The CVE record is authoritative. Products marked “from the name” were identified from the CNA's free-text names, not a CPE, and are matched less certainly. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.