A flaw in the Linux kernel’s radiotap parser leaves an internal pointer uninitialized when it encounters an undefined field. The parser later compares against this garbage value, which can trigger undefined behavior such as a kernel panic, effectively taking the system offline. The weakness is a use of an uninitialized variable, classified as CWE-824.

All Linux kernel releases before the commit that adds a check for unknown radiotap fields are affected. The issue resides in the generic wireless (wifi) framework and does not involve vendor‑specific extensions. Any distribution running an older kernel version without the patch is at risk.

The CVSS score of 5.5 and an EPSS below 1% indicate moderate severity and a low likelihood of exploitation. The likely attack vector is inferred to be the injection of malformed radiotap data in wireless frames, which triggers the uninitialized comparison. The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.