CVE-2026-74651: Linux Vulnerability

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB read in rtw_get_wpa_ie() rtw_get_wpa_ie() reads bytes at fixed offsets into a vendor-specific information element without checking that the element is long enough, causing an out-of-bounds read for a short trailing IE. The function locates a vendor-specific IE (EID 221) with rtw_get_ie() and then compares a 4-byte OUI+type at pbuf + 2 and reads a 2-byte version word at pbuf + 6. Those accesses require the IE body to be at least 6 bytes, but rtw_get_ie() only guarantees that the element fits within the buffer; it does not enforce a minimum body length. A vendor-specific IE whose length byte is 0 to 5, placed at the end of the buffer, therefore makes these reads run past the end of the IE and past the end of the buffer itself. The buffer holds information elements taken from received management frames and from the IE blob passed to rtw_cfg80211_set_wpa_ie(), which is kmemdup'd to its exact length, so the read can run off the end of the allocation. The sibling helpers rtw_get_sec_ie(), rtw_get_wapi_ie() and rtw_get_wps_ie() in this file already reject too-short vendor-specific IEs before their OUI memcmp(); rtw_get_wpa_ie() was never brought in line with them, and needs a minimum of 6 rather than 4 bytes because of the version word. Add the missing length check.

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < 4fc459c5cd8767ca4d9bf2f7becbd562639ba4d9; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < b45be82387bf759931acdd21ca7dfe740f16eb97; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < c9068f82a0906b29c905e8788edb62c3208c7c8a; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < 0d19f0600fbb610c42f2a86f95c35706dc04691b; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < 42c5a0d454aa5b54fec17162d9a1f8c30f8af45a; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < e167a38a8a8f50f137721fef1a1fbba0f4588b5d; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < 01ab275f8f3e497a13ebbe4ded44ec0623bccde3; >= 554c0a3abf216c991c5ebddcdb2c08689ecd290b, < 1c3e23e78862493e8cf1adad02b10ffcb8b9921c
Linux	Linux	4.12

References

Timeline

Published: Aug 22, 2026
Last Modified: Aug 22, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-74651?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB read in rtw_get_wpa_ie() rtw_get_wpa_ie() reads bytes at fixed offsets into a vendor-specific information element without checking that the element is long enough, causing an out-of-bounds read for a short trailing IE. The function locates a vendor-specific IE (EID 221) with rtw_get_ie() and then compares a 4-byte OUI+type at pbuf + 2 and reads a 2-byte version word at pbuf + 6. Those accesses require the IE body to be at least 6 bytes, but rtw_get_ie() only guarantees that the element fits within the buffer; it does not enforce a minimum body length. A vendor-specific IE whose length byte is 0 to 5, placed at the end of the buffer, therefore makes these reads run past the end of the IE and past the end of the buffer itself. The buffer holds information elements taken from received management frames and from the IE blob passed to rtw_cfg80211_set_wpa_ie(), which is kmemdup'd to its exact length, so the read can run off the end of the allocation. The sibling helpers rtw_get_sec_ie(), rtw_get_wapi_ie() and rtw_get_wps_ie() in this file already reject too-short vendor-specific IEs before their OUI memcmp(); rtw_get_wpa_ie() was never brought in line with them, and needs a minimum of 6 rather than 4 bytes because of the version word. Add the missing length check.

How severe is CVE-2026-74651?

Severity scoring for CVE-2026-74651 is pending analysis.

How do I fix CVE-2026-74651?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

How Strix Helps

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