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Linux Kernel CVE-2026-74651

| EUVDEUVD-2026-64588 HIGH
2026-08-22 Linux GHSA-849j-9cq7-9mpx
8.1
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY
8.1 HIGH
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
vuln.today AI
8.1 HIGH

Adjacent WiFi delivery with no auth needed; OOB read yields kernel heap disclosure (C:H) and crash potential (A:H) with no write primitive (I:N).

3.1 AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector
Adjacent
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

5
Analysis Generated
Aug 25, 2026 - 06:59 vuln.today
CVSS changed
Aug 25, 2026 - 06:22 NVD
8.1 (HIGH)
Patch available
Aug 22, 2026 - 16:01 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 22, 2026 - 15:32 cve.org
HIGH 8.1
CVE Published
Aug 22, 2026 - 15:32 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

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.

AnalysisAI

Out-of-bounds read in the Linux kernel's staging RTL8723BS WiFi driver allows adjacent-network unauthenticated attackers to leak kernel heap memory or crash the affected system by transmitting a crafted 802.11 management frame. The flaw lives in rtw_get_wpa_ie(), which accesses fixed byte offsets within a vendor-specific information element without verifying the IE body is at least 6 bytes long, enabling reads past the end of a kmemdup'd allocation when a short trailing IE is present. …

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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata

Access
Position within WiFi radio range of target
Delivery
Craft 802.11 management frame with short-body vendor-specific IE (EID 221, length 0-5)
Exploit
Transmit frame to target device without authentication
Execution
rtw_get_wpa_ie() reads past IE allocation boundary
Impact
Kernel heap bytes disclosed or kernel panic triggered

Vulnerability AssessmentAI

Exploitation Exploitation requires the target system to have an RTL8723BS WiFi chipset physically installed and the r8723bs kernel staging module actively loaded - systems without this hardware or with the module blacklisted are not exploitable. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment.
Risk Assessment The CVSS 8.1 score (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H) accurately reflects the vulnerability class: a no-authentication, low-complexity adjacent-network read that can yield kernel heap disclosure and system crash. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in.
Exploit Scenario An attacker positioned within WiFi radio range of a device running the unpatched Linux kernel with the r8723bs staging module loaded crafts a malicious 802.11 management frame containing a vendor-specific information element (EID 221) with a body length field set to 0-5 bytes, placed at the tail of the IE buffer. When the RTL8723BS driver ingests this frame and rtw_get_wpa_ie() processes it, the function reads 6 bytes at the IE start without a length check, running off the end of the kmemdup'd allocation and potentially disclosing adjacent kernel heap contents or triggering a kernel panic. …
Remediation Upgrade to a patched stable kernel release corresponding to your current stable branch: 5.10.265, 5.15.216, 6.1.183, 6.6.152, 6.12.104, 6.18.45, 7.1.9, or 7.2. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report.

Recommended ActionAI

Within 24 hours, identify and catalog all systems running the RTL8723BS WiFi driver, including embedded devices, IoT gateways, edge controllers, and single-board computers currently in operation. …

Sign in for detailed remediation steps and compensating controls.

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CVE-2026-74651 vulnerability details – vuln.today

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