[PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix heap overflow in OnAuthClient shared key path

Alexandru Hossu posted 1 patch 2 months ago
drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 2 +-
1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
[PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix heap overflow in OnAuthClient shared key path
Posted by Alexandru Hossu 2 months ago
rtw_get_ie() returns the raw IE length from the received frame, which
can be up to 255. This length is used directly in memcpy() into
chg_txt[128] with no bounds check, allowing a heap overflow of up to
127 bytes when a rogue AP sends an Auth seq=2 frame with a Challenge
Text IE longer than 128 bytes.

IEEE 802.11 mandates the Challenge Text element carries exactly 128
bytes of challenge data. Reject any element whose length field does not
match sizeof(pmlmeinfo->chg_txt) (128).

Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 2 +-
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
index 5f00fe282d1b..90f27665667a 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
@@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
 			p = rtw_get_ie(pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_, WLAN_EID_CHALLENGE, (int *)&len,
 				pkt_len - WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN - _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_);
 
-			if (!p)
+			if (!p || len != sizeof(pmlmeinfo->chg_txt))
 				goto authclnt_fail;
 
 			memcpy(pmlmeinfo->chg_txt, p + 2, len);
-- 
2.53.0
Re: [PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix heap overflow in OnAuthClient shared key path
Posted by Alexandru Hossu 2 months ago
On Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 08:19:00AM +0000, Dan Carpenter wrote:
> Looks good.
>
> Reviewed-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>
>
>                        p = rtw_get_ie(pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_, WLAN_EID_CHALLENGE, (int *)&len,
>                                       ^^^^^^
> Do we know that pframe has enough data?
>
> KTODO: check if pframe is large enough in OnAuthClient()

Good catch. There's no minimum length check before the subtraction,
so a frame shorter than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_ (30 bytes)
would cause pkt_len to underflow since it's unsigned. I'll send a
follow-up patch adding the check.

Thanks for the review.

Alexandru
Re: [PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix heap overflow in OnAuthClient shared key path
Posted by Dan Carpenter 2 months ago
On Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 10:28:24PM +0200, Alexandru Hossu wrote:
> rtw_get_ie() returns the raw IE length from the received frame, which
> can be up to 255. This length is used directly in memcpy() into
> chg_txt[128] with no bounds check, allowing a heap overflow of up to
> 127 bytes when a rogue AP sends an Auth seq=2 frame with a Challenge
> Text IE longer than 128 bytes.
> 
> IEEE 802.11 mandates the Challenge Text element carries exactly 128
> bytes of challenge data. Reject any element whose length field does not
> match sizeof(pmlmeinfo->chg_txt) (128).
> 
> Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>

Looks good.

Reviewed-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>

> ---
>  drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> index 5f00fe282d1b..90f27665667a 100644
> --- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> +++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> @@ -891,7 +891,7 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
>  			p = rtw_get_ie(pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_, WLAN_EID_CHALLENGE, (int *)&len,
                                       ^^^^^^
Do we know that pframe has enough data?

KTODO: check if pframe is large enough in OnAuthClient()

regards,
dan carpenter

>  				pkt_len - WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN - _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_);
>  
> -			if (!p)
> +			if (!p || len != sizeof(pmlmeinfo->chg_txt))
>  				goto authclnt_fail;
[PATCH v2] staging: rtl8723bs: fix missing frame length checks in OnAuthClient
Posted by Alexandru Hossu 2 months ago
OnAuthClient() accesses pframe without first verifying that pkt_len is
large enough to contain a valid 802.11 management frame header:

- get_da(pframe) reads bytes 4-9, requiring pkt_len >= 10
- GetPrivacy(pframe) reads the FC field at bytes 0-1

Additionally, when pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_ the
unsigned subtraction passed to rtw_get_ie() wraps around, causing it
to scan well past the end of the buffer.

Add an early check against WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN before any pframe access,
and a second check against WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6 after computing
offset to guard the seq/status reads and the rtw_get_ie() call.

Reported-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>
Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 6 ++++++
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
index 90f27665667a..884cd39ec756 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
@@ -860,6 +860,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
 	u8 *pframe = precv_frame->u.hdr.rx_data;
 	uint pkt_len = precv_frame->u.hdr.len;
 
+	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN)
+		goto authclnt_fail;
+
 	/* check A1 matches or not */
 	if (memcmp(myid(&(padapter->eeprompriv)), get_da(pframe), ETH_ALEN))
 		return _SUCCESS;
@@ -869,6 +872,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
 
 	offset = (GetPrivacy(pframe)) ? 4 : 0;
 
+	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6)
+		goto authclnt_fail;
+
 	seq	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 2));
 	status	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4));
 
-- 
2.53.0
Re: [PATCH v2] staging: rtl8723bs: fix missing frame length checks in OnAuthClient
Posted by Greg KH 2 months ago
On Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 04:53:50PM +0200, Alexandru Hossu wrote:
> OnAuthClient() accesses pframe without first verifying that pkt_len is
> large enough to contain a valid 802.11 management frame header:
> 
> - get_da(pframe) reads bytes 4-9, requiring pkt_len >= 10
> - GetPrivacy(pframe) reads the FC field at bytes 0-1
> 
> Additionally, when pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_ the
> unsigned subtraction passed to rtw_get_ie() wraps around, causing it
> to scan well past the end of the buffer.
> 
> Add an early check against WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN before any pframe access,
> and a second check against WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6 after computing
> offset to guard the seq/status reads and the rtw_get_ie() call.
> 
> Reported-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>
> Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 6 ++++++
>  1 file changed, 6 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> index 90f27665667a..884cd39ec756 100644
> --- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> +++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> @@ -860,6 +860,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
>  	u8 *pframe = precv_frame->u.hdr.rx_data;
>  	uint pkt_len = precv_frame->u.hdr.len;
>  
> +	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN)
> +		goto authclnt_fail;
> +
>  	/* check A1 matches or not */
>  	if (memcmp(myid(&(padapter->eeprompriv)), get_da(pframe), ETH_ALEN))
>  		return _SUCCESS;
> @@ -869,6 +872,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
>  
>  	offset = (GetPrivacy(pframe)) ? 4 : 0;
>  
> +	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6)
> +		goto authclnt_fail;
> +
>  	seq	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 2));
>  	status	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4));
>  
> -- 
> 2.53.0
> 
> 

Hi,

This is the friendly patch-bot of Greg Kroah-Hartman.  You have sent him
a patch that has triggered this response.  He used to manually respond
to these common problems, but in order to save his sanity (he kept
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created.  Hopefully you will not take offence and will fix the problem
in your patch and resubmit it so that it can be accepted into the Linux
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You are receiving this message because of the following common error(s)
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  did not list below the --- line any changes from the previous version.
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  needs to be done here to properly describe this.

If you wish to discuss this problem further, or you have questions about
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thanks,

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[PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix frame length underflow in OnAuthClient
Posted by Alexandru Hossu 2 months ago
If pkt_len is less than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6, the reads of
the seq and status fields go beyond the frame buffer. Additionally,
when pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_ (30 bytes), the
subtraction passed to rtw_get_ie() wraps around since pkt_len is
unsigned, causing rtw_get_ie() to scan well past the end of the buffer.

Add a minimum length check after computing offset to reject frames
that are too short before any fixed field access.

Reported-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>
Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>
---
 drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 3 +++
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
index 90f27665667a..6b0ac54ad3d4 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
@@ -869,6 +869,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
 
 	offset = (GetPrivacy(pframe)) ? 4 : 0;
 
+	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6)
+		goto authclnt_fail;
+
 	seq	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 2));
 	status	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4));
 
-- 
2.53.0
Re: [PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix frame length underflow in OnAuthClient
Posted by Alexandru Hossu 2 months ago
On Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 03:02:00PM +0000, Dan Carpenter wrote:
> Do we know for sure that this is within bounds?  And there is earlier
> code which pokes in pframe as well.  This code is quite complicated.

You're right, I missed that. get_da(pframe) at the top of the function
already accesses pframe+4..+9, and GetPrivacy() reads the FC field,
both without any length check. I'll add an early check against
WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN before any pframe access and send a v2.

Thanks,
Alexandru
Re: [PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: fix frame length underflow in OnAuthClient
Posted by Dan Carpenter 2 months ago
On Tue, Apr 14, 2026 at 12:08:04PM +0200, Alexandru Hossu wrote:
> If pkt_len is less than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6, the reads of
> the seq and status fields go beyond the frame buffer. Additionally,
> when pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_ (30 bytes), the
> subtraction passed to rtw_get_ie() wraps around since pkt_len is
> unsigned, causing rtw_get_ie() to scan well past the end of the buffer.
> 
> Add a minimum length check after computing offset to reject frames
> that are too short before any fixed field access.
> 
> Reported-by: Dan Carpenter <error27@gmail.com>
> Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 3 +++
>  1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> index 90f27665667a..6b0ac54ad3d4 100644
> --- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> +++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
> @@ -869,6 +869,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuthClient(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_fram
>  
>  	offset = (GetPrivacy(pframe)) ? 4 : 0;
                             ^^^^^^
Do we know for sure that this is within bounds?  And there is earlier
code which pokes in pframe as well.  This code is quite complicated.

I looked at how to do bounds checking but it all seems pretty
complicated to me and I haven't investigated this enough to know the
right answers.

regards,
dan carpenter

>  
> +	if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6)
> +		goto authclnt_fail;
> +
>  	seq	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 2));
>  	status	= le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4));
>  
> -- 
> 2.53.0