UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74651: High severity ubuntu/linux-azure vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB read in rtwgetwpaie() rtwgetwpaie() 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 rtwgetie() 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 rtwgetie() 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 rtwcfg80211setwpaie(), which is kmemdup'd to its exact length, so the read can run off the end of the allocation. The sibling helpers rtwgetsecie(), rtwgetwapiie() and rtwgetwpsie() in this file already reject too-short vendor-specific IEs before their OUI memcmp(); rtwgetwpaie() 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
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1122.131~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hwe-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibm-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iotg-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.118~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-195.205~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1114.120~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-riscv-5.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115~20.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fdeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1122.131 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gketo a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1113.119 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gkeopto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1100.108 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-ibmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1111.115 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iotgto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.118 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-kvmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1109.114 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-lowlatencyto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-195.205 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidiato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1112.113 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1114.120 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-xilinx-zynqmpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1080.84 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-bluefieldto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1101.103 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-intel-iot-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1109.111 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-realtimeto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1116.125 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1123.132+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-198.208+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.15.0-1118.128+fips1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-nvidia-tegrato a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.8.0-1036.39 - Compensating control
Add a minimum-length check in rtw_get_wpa_ie() to reject vendor-specific IEs with a body shorter than 6 bytes before comparing the OUI+type at pbuf + 2 or reading the version word at pbuf + 6.
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What systems are realistically exposed to this issue?
Systems using the affected Ubuntu kernel packages are exposed when the staging rtl8723bs driver processes vendor-specific information elements from received management frames or from the IE blob supplied through rtw_cfg80211_set_wpa_ie(). The listed packages include ubuntu/linux, linux-azure, linux-aws-fips, linux-azure-fips, linux-fips, linux-gcp-fips, linux-gcp, and linux-oracle.
What does an attacker need to trigger the out-of-bounds read?
An attacker needs to provide a vendor-specific information element with EID 221 and a body length from 0 to 5 bytes positioned at the end of the parsed buffer. No privileges or user interaction are required according to the supplied vector, and the attack vector is adjacent network.
How can I determine whether a system may be affected?
Check whether the system is running one of the listed Ubuntu kernel packages and whether the staging rtl8723bs driver is in use. The vulnerable path is reached while handling received management-frame IEs or WPA IE data passed to rtw_cfg80211_set_wpa_ie().