[PATCH v2] staging: rtl8723bs: fix OOB read in update_beacon_info() IE loop

From: Alexandru Hossu

Date: Sat Apr 25 2026 - 08:01:38 EST


The IE parsing loop in update_beacon_info() advances by
(pIE->length + 2) each iteration but only guards on i < len.
When a malicious AP sends a Beacon whose last IE has only one byte
remaining in the frame (the element_id byte lands at len-1), the loop
reads pIE->length from one byte past the allocated receive buffer.

Additionally, even when the header bytes are in bounds, pIE->length
itself can extend the data window beyond len, passing a truncated IE
to the handler functions.

Add two guards at the top of the loop body:
1. Break if fewer than sizeof(*pIE) bytes remain (can't read header).
2. Break if the IE's declared data extends past len.

Also replace i += (pIE->length + 2) with i += sizeof(*pIE) + pIE->length
for consistency with the sizeof(*pIE) guards added above.

Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v2: Replace i += (pIE->length + 2) with i += sizeof(*pIE) + pIE->length
for consistency with the sizeof(*pIE) guards (Dan Carpenter).

drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_wlan_util.c | 6 +++++-
1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_wlan_util.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_wlan_util.c
index 6a7c09db4cd9..e0d73c267786 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_wlan_util.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_wlan_util.c
@@ -1289,7 +1289,11 @@ void update_beacon_info(struct adapter *padapter, u8 *pframe, uint pkt_len, stru
len = pkt_len - (_BEACON_IE_OFFSET_ + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN);

for (i = 0; i < len;) {
+ if (i + sizeof(*pIE) > len)
+ break;
pIE = (struct ndis_80211_var_ie *)(pframe + (_BEACON_IE_OFFSET_ + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN) + i);
+ if (i + sizeof(*pIE) + pIE->length > len)
+ break;

switch (pIE->element_id) {
case WLAN_EID_VENDOR_SPECIFIC:
@@ -1314,7 +1318,7 @@ void update_beacon_info(struct adapter *padapter, u8 *pframe, uint pkt_len, stru
break;
}

- i += (pIE->length + 2);
+ i += sizeof(*pIE) + pIE->length;
}
}

--
2.53.0