CVE-2026-23130: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2026-23130 is a deadlock vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath12k WiFi driver that causes a denial of service when flushing management frames. The flaw was published on February 14, 2026, and affects Linux kernel versions 6.14 through 6.18.7 and 6.19-rc1 through 6.19-rc6. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (Medium), reflecting a local, low-privilege attack vector with high availability impact (Feedly).

The root cause is improper locking (CWE-667) introduced when management frame transmission was converted to a wiphy work item, which requires the wiphy lock to execute. A race condition arises when ath12k_mac_op_flush() is called with a NULL vif parameter: the function acquires the wiphy lock while waiting for pending management frames to be transmitted, but the wiphy work item responsible for transmission cannot run without that same lock, creating a deadlock. The existing wiphy_work_flush() call in ath12k_mac_op_flush() did not cover the NULL vif code path, leaving it unprotected. The fix moves wiphy_work_flush() to also handle the NULL vif case, proactively draining the work queue before the wait (Feedly, Kernel Patch 1, Kernel Patch 2).

Exploitation causes the WiFi adapter to enter a deadlock state, preventing management frames (such as authentication and association frames) from being transmitted. From a user perspective, this manifests as repeated failed authentication attempts followed by the kernel error failed to flush mgmt transmit queue, mgmt pkts pending 1, effectively disabling wireless network connectivity on the affected interface. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact; the vulnerability is limited to availability of the wireless subsystem (Feedly).

• Logs: Kernel log messages containing failed to flush mgmt transmit queue, mgmt pkts pending 1 from the ath12k_pci driver (e.g., ath12k_pci 0000:08:00.0: failed to flush mgmt transmit queue, mgmt pkts pending 1).
• Logs: Repeated wlp*: send auth to ... (try 1/3) followed by aborting association ... by local choice (Reason: 3=DEAUTH_LEAVING) in system/kernel logs, indicating the WiFi interface is stuck in an authentication loop.
• Network: Complete loss of wireless connectivity on interfaces using the ath12k driver despite the adapter appearing active.

Update the Linux kernel to version 6.18.8 or later, or 6.19-rc7 or later, which include the upstream fixes in commits 06ac2aa13f701a0296e92f5f54ae24224d426b28 and f88e9fc30a261d63946ddc6cc6a33405e6aa27c3. Systems running kernel versions 6.14 through 6.18.7 or 6.19-rc1 through 6.19-rc6 with Qualcomm ath12k-based WiFi adapters should prioritize this update. No configuration-based workaround is available; kernel upgrade is the only remediation (Feedly, Kernel Patch 1, Kernel Patch 2).