[PATCH v7 2/2] staging: rtl8723bs: fix missing frame length checks in OnAuth() and OnAuthClient()
From: Alexandru Hossu
Date: Tue May 05 2026 - 17:14:52 EST
Four out-of-bounds read paths caused by missing frame length guards:
1. OnAuth() reads GetAddr2Ptr (pframe + 10) without verifying the frame
is at least WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN bytes long.
The first operation on pframe after the AP-state guard is
GetAddr2Ptr(pframe), which reads 6 bytes at offset 10..15 (Addr2).
If the received frame is shorter than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN (24 bytes),
this reads past the end of the frame buffer. Add:
if (len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN) goto auth_fail;
2. OnAuth() reads the algorithm and sequence fields at pframe +
WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + {0,2} without verifying that those
offsets are within the frame.
offset is 0 for an open-system frame and 4 for a WEP-encapsulated
frame. The reads at offset+0 and offset+2 are both 2-byte, so the
last byte accessed is at WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 3. A crafted
short frame causes an out-of-bounds read. Add:
if (len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4) goto auth_fail;
3. OnAuthClient() calls get_da(pframe) without verifying the frame is
at least WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN bytes long.
get_da() inspects the ToDs and FrDs bits in Frame Control (bytes
0..1) and returns either Addr1 (bytes 4..9) or Addr3 (bytes 16..21).
A frame shorter than WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN (24 bytes) causes an
out-of-bounds read in either case. Add:
if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN) goto authclnt_fail;
4. OnAuthClient() reads the sequence field at pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN
+ offset + 2 and the status field at offset + 4 without verifying
those offsets are within the frame.
offset is 0 for open-system and 4 for WEP. The status read at
offset+4 is 2 bytes, so the last byte accessed is at
WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 5. Add:
if (pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6) goto authclnt_fail;
Note: a previous version of this patch claimed that the signed/unsigned
mismatch in the rtw_get_ie() limit parameter caused an out-of-bounds
scan when pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + _AUTH_IE_OFFSET_. This is
incorrect: rtw_get_ie() declares its limit as signed int, so the
wrapped unsigned value is reinterpreted as a large negative number,
which is immediately caught by the if (limit < 2) return NULL; guard
inside rtw_get_ie(). The actual out-of-bounds reads are the four
direct pframe dereferences listed above.
OnAssocRsp() was already fixed by a separate series.
Fixes: 554c0a3abf21 ("staging: Add rtl8723bs sdio wifi driver")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Alexandru Hossu <hossu.alexandru@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v7:
- Add frame length checks for OnAuth(): guard before GetAddr2Ptr (len <
WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN) and guard before algorithm/seq reads (len <
WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4) (sashiko review of v6).
- Correct commit message: remove incorrect claim that rtw_get_ie()
unsigned underflow causes OOB scan; rtw_get_ie() uses signed int
limit and returns NULL when limit < 2 (sashiko review of v6).
Changes in v6:
- Add frame length checks for OnAuthClient(): guard before get_da()
(pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN) and guard before seq/status reads
(pkt_len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 6).
- Correct commit message: OnAssocRsp() was already fixed in a
separate series.
drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c | 12 ++++++++++++
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+)
diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
index dd3c94d314d8..b42eab61d8a8 100644
--- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
+++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_mlme_ext.c
@@ -687,6 +687,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuth(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_frame)
if ((pmlmeinfo->state&0x03) != WIFI_FW_AP_STATE)
return _FAIL;
+ if (len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN)
+ goto auth_fail;
+
sa = GetAddr2Ptr(pframe);
auth_mode = psecuritypriv->dot11AuthAlgrthm;
@@ -709,6 +712,9 @@ unsigned int OnAuth(struct adapter *padapter, union recv_frame *precv_frame)
offset = 4;
}
+ if (len < WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 4)
+ goto auth_fail;
+
algorithm = le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset));
seq = le16_to_cpu(*(__le16 *)((SIZE_PTR)pframe + WLAN_HDR_A3_LEN + offset + 2));
@@ -860,6 +866,9 @@ 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 +878,9 @@ 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