CyberRota Analysis
AI-GeneratedThe vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's handling of HT capabilities in the rtl8723bs driver, where an unchecked length value from an 802.11 AssocResponse frame can lead to out-of-bounds writes in a fixed-size array. This flaw allows a malicious access point to exploit the kernel, potentially leading to data corruption or system instability. Organizations using affected Linux distributions, particularly those relying on wireless connectivity, should prioritize patching to mitigate the risk of exploitation.
Original NVD Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB write in HT_caps_handler() HT_caps_handler() iterates pIE->length bytes and writes into HT_caps.u.HT_cap[], which is a fixed 26-byte array (sizeof struct HT_caps_element). Because pIE->length is a raw u8 from an over-the-air 802.11 AssocResponse frame and is never validated, a malicious AP can set it up to 255, causing up to 229 bytes of out-of-bounds writes into adjacent fields of struct mlme_ext_info. Truncate the iteration count to the size of HT_caps.u.HT_cap using umin() so that data from a longer-than-expected IE is silently ignored rather than written out of bounds, preserving interoperability with APs that pad the element. An early return on oversized IEs was considered but rejected: it would bypass the pmlmeinfo->HT_caps_enable = 1 assignment that precedes the loop, silently disabling HT mode for APs that append extra bytes to the HT Capabilities IE.