CVE-2026-53103: 
Linux Kernel vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2026-53103 is a potential deadlock vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mt76 Wi-Fi driver, specifically in the mt7925_roc_abort_sync function of the mt7925 chipset driver. The flaw was published on June 24, 2026, and affects Linux kernel versions from 6.11.2 up to (but not including) 6.12, as well as kernel 6.12 and later branches prior to their respective fixes. Fixed commits are available for stable branches, with patched versions including 6.18.33 and 7.0.10. The vulnerability is estimated as Medium severity with an EPSS score of approximately 0.166% (GitHub Advisory, Feedly).

The root cause is a mutex deadlock (CWE category: improper synchronization) in the mt7925_roc_abort_sync() function. When station removal is triggered, the call chain mt76_sta_state() → mt76_sta_remove() → mt7925_mac_sta_remove_link() → mt7925_mac_link_sta_remove() → mt7925_roc_abort_sync() invokes cancel_work_sync() while the caller already holds dev->mt76.mutex. Concurrently, roc_work() also holds dev->mt76.mutex and cannot release it until it finishes, while cancel_work_sync() blocks waiting for roc_work() to complete — creating a circular wait with no forward progress possible. The fix restructures work ownership to avoid the mutex contention and ensure exactly-once work execution (GitHub Advisory).

Successful triggering of this deadlock causes the affected kernel thread to freeze indefinitely, rendering the mt7925 wireless interface unresponsive and resulting in a local denial of service. The impact is limited to availability — there is no evidence of confidentiality or integrity compromise. Systems relying on the affected Wi-Fi interface for network connectivity would lose wireless functionality until the system is rebooted (Feedly, GitHub Advisory).

Apply the upstream kernel patches that resolve the mutex deadlock in mt7925_roc_abort_sync. Fixed commits are available at the following stable tree references: 153bcba36c87 (one stable branch), 2d8e0053bca2 (second stable branch), and dd08ca3f092f (third stable branch). Patched kernel versions include 6.18.33, 7.0.10, and 7.1+. Users should update to a patched kernel version provided by their Linux distribution as soon as it becomes available (GitHub Advisory, Kernel Patch 1).