wifi: prevent A-MSDU attacks in mesh networks

MITRE NVD CVE.ORG JSON API

Summary

CVECVE-2025-38512
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2025-08-16 11:15:44 UTC
Updated2026-07-30 06:23:23 UTC
DescriptionIn 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

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 7.8 HIGH from [email protected]

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

Problem Types: NVD-CWE-noinfo

VersionSourceTypeScoreSeverityVector
3.1[email protected]Primary7.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67Secondary8.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
3.1CNADECLARED8.8HIGHCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
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

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Linux Linux Kernel All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 79720743421753ff72bfa0d79976c534645b81c1 e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 986e43b19ae9176093da35e0a844e65c8bf9ede7 737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 6.1.107 6.1.146 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 6.3 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.3 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.146 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.99 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.39 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.15.7 6.15.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.16 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/737bb912ebbe4571195c56eba557c4d7315b26fb 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.debian.org Mailing List, Third Party Advisory
git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec6392061de6681148b63ee6c8744da833498cdd 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/e01851f6e9a665a6011b14714b271d3e6b0b8d32 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2c8a3c0388aef6bfc4aabfba07bc7dff16eea80 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e3b09402cc6c3e3474fa548e8adf6897dda05de 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
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