CVE-2026-64445
Received Received - Intake

Buffer Overflow in Linux Kernel RTL8723BS Driver

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-64445, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-07-25

Last updated on: 2026-07-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix WEP length underflow and OOB read in OnAuth() OnAuth() has two bugs in the shared-key authentication path. When the Privacy bit is set, rtw_wep_decrypt() is called without verifying that the frame is long enough to contain a valid WEP IV and ICV. Inside rtw_wep_decrypt(), length is computed as: length = len - WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN - iv_len and then passed as (length - 4) to crc32_le(). If len is less than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + iv_len + icv_len (32 bytes), length - 4 is negative and, after the implicit cast to size_t, causes crc32_le() to read far beyond the frame buffer. Add a minimum length check before accessing the IV field and calling the decryption path. When processing a seq=3 response, rtw_get_ie() stores the Challenge Text IE length in ie_len, but the subsequent memcmp() always reads 128 bytes regardless of ie_len. IEEE 802.11 mandates a challenge text of exactly 128 bytes; reject any IE whose length field differs, matching the check already applied to OnAuthClient().

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published
2026-07-25
Last Modified
2026-07-25
Generated
2026-07-25
AI Q&A
2026-07-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
CWE Icon
KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

AI Quick Actions

Instant insights powered by AI
Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a flaw in the staging driver for RTL8723BS wireless chipsets. It affects the OnAuth() function during shared-key authentication, causing two issues: a WEP length underflow leading to an out-of-bounds read, and an incorrect length check for the Challenge Text IE. The first bug allows reading beyond the frame buffer due to negative length calculations, while the second permits improper handling of challenge text lengths.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's staging driver for RTL8723BS WiFi chips. Detection requires checking if your system uses this driver and if the kernel version is vulnerable. Inspect loaded kernel modules with 'lsmod | grep rtl8723bs' and check kernel version with 'uname -a'. If the driver is loaded and the kernel is unpatched, the system is likely vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker within wireless range to cause a denial of service or potentially execute arbitrary code on affected systems. It may lead to system crashes, memory corruption, or unauthorized access if exploited through crafted wireless authentication packets.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version immediately. If your distribution has not yet released a patch, consider disabling the rtl8723bs driver by blacklisting it with 'echo blacklist rtl8723bs | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtl8723bs.conf' and rebooting. Avoid using WEP encryption on WiFi networks until patched.

Chat Assistant

Ask questions about this CVE
Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-64445. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.
0/70

EPSS Chart