Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: wlcore: enable the right set of ciphers

The firmware version number check for IGTK introduced in
commit c34dbc5900b0 ("wifi: wlcore: Add support for IGTK key")

lets the amount of ciphers decrease on every boot of a too old firmware and
that is practically happening. It also does not take into account other
chips than the wl18xx. On some wl128x, the following can be observed
when connecting via nm to a common ap:

[ 484.113311] wlcore: WARNING could not set keys
[ 484.117828] wlcore: ERROR Could not add or replace key
[ 484.123016] wlan0: failed to set key (5, ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff) to hardware (-5)
[ 484.123046] wlcore: Hardware recovery in progress. FW ver: Rev 7.3.10.0.142
[ 484.139923] wlcore: pc: 0x0, hint_sts: 0x00000048 count: 1
[ 484.145721] wlcore: down
[ 484.148986] ieee80211 phy0: Hardware restart was requested
[ 484.610473] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 7.3.10.0.142)
[ 484.633758] wlcore: Association completed.
[ 484.690490] wlcore: ERROR command execute failure 14
[ 484.690490] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[ 484.700195] WARNING: drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c:872 at wl12xx_queue_recovery_work+0x64/0x74 [wlcore], CPU#0: kworker/0:0/892

This repeats endlessly.
Always disable IGTK on wl12xx and fix the decrementing mess.
Published: 2026-08-28
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
AI Analysis

Impact

A flaw in the Linux kernel wlcore driver causes the firmware to progressively reduce the number of enabled cryptographic ciphers on each boot when the firmware is older than expected. The driver fails to set keys correctly, which triggers the hardware to restart repeatedly and prevents normal wireless operation. As a result, any device using an affected wl12xx Wi‑Fi chip will experience persistent connectivity loss or a complete service interruption.

Affected Systems

The issue involves the Linux kernel and the wlcore wireless driver for wl12xx chips running firmware revision 7.3.10.0.142 and earlier. Systems running newer firmware or non‑wl12xx devices are not affected; only Linux installations that use the wlcore driver with older firmware encounter the problem.

Risk and Exploitability

The vulnerability is local to the device; an attacker would need physical access or be able to influence the device firmware. Because the exploit triggers only after a reboot or when the driver loads, it is not directly reachable from remote code execution. The likelihood of exploitation in the wild is low, and the vulnerability is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog and lacks an EPSS score. However, the impact remains significant for affected devices due to recurring hardware restarts and denial of Wi‑Fi service.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 28, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Disable IGTK on all wl12xx devices until the firmware issue is resolved.
  • Update the wl12xx firmware to the latest stable revision that includes the corrected cipher handling logic.
  • Apply the latest Linux kernel update that includes the wlcore patch.
  • Monitor kernel logs for messages such as "wlcore: could not set keys" and upgrade promptly if they appear.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on August 28, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Weaknesses CWE-665
CWE-703

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: wlcore: enable the right set of ciphers The firmware version number check for IGTK introduced in commit c34dbc5900b0 ("wifi: wlcore: Add support for IGTK key") lets the amount of ciphers decrease on every boot of a too old firmware and that is practically happening. It also does not take into account other chips than the wl18xx. On some wl128x, the following can be observed when connecting via nm to a common ap: [ 484.113311] wlcore: WARNING could not set keys [ 484.117828] wlcore: ERROR Could not add or replace key [ 484.123016] wlan0: failed to set key (5, ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff) to hardware (-5) [ 484.123046] wlcore: Hardware recovery in progress. FW ver: Rev 7.3.10.0.142 [ 484.139923] wlcore: pc: 0x0, hint_sts: 0x00000048 count: 1 [ 484.145721] wlcore: down [ 484.148986] ieee80211 phy0: Hardware restart was requested [ 484.610473] wlcore: firmware booted (Rev 7.3.10.0.142) [ 484.633758] wlcore: Association completed. [ 484.690490] wlcore: ERROR command execute failure 14 [ 484.690490] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 484.700195] WARNING: drivers/net/wireless/ti/wlcore/main.c:872 at wl12xx_queue_recovery_work+0x64/0x74 [wlcore], CPU#0: kworker/0:0/892 This repeats endlessly. Always disable IGTK on wl12xx and fix the decrementing mess.
Title wifi: wlcore: enable the right set of ciphers
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

Subscriptions

Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-08-28T06:48:53.241Z

Reserved: 2026-08-26T14:34:25.778Z

Link: CVE-2026-80641

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-08-28T08:16:49.003

Modified: 2026-08-28T08:16:49.003

Link: CVE-2026-80641

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-08-28T11:15:03Z

Weaknesses
  • CWE-665

    Improper Initialization

  • CWE-703

    Improper Check or Handling of Exceptional Conditions