CVE-2025-71234: Linux kernel · wifi: rtl8xxxu: fix slab-out-of-bounds in rtl8xxxu_sta_add
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High · fixed in 116f7bd8160c6b37d1c6939385abf90f6f6ed2f5 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:18 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 14% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
- Automatable
- Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
- Technical impact
- Total control over the software or total information disclosure
CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 116f7bd8160c6b37d1c6939385abf90f6f6ed2f5, 86c946bcc00f6390ef65e9614ae60a9377e454f8, 9a0f3fa6ecd0c9c32dbc367a57482bbf7c7d25bf +1
CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Feb 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade Linux kernel to 116f7bd8160c6b37d1c6939385abf90f6f6ed2f5, 86c946bcc00f6390ef65e9614ae60a9377e454f8, 9a0f3fa6ecd0c9c32dbc367a57482bbf7c7d25bf or 5d810ba377eddee95d30766d360a14efbb3d1872.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
A fix is available and has been applied in the Linux kernel source (commits 116f7bd8160c6b37d1c6939385abf90f6f6ed2f5, 86c946bcc00f6390ef65e9614ae60a9377e454f8, 9a0f3fa6ecd0c9c32dbc367a57482bbf7c7d25bf, 5d810ba377eddee95d30766d360a14efbb3d1872). Users should update to a patched kernel version that includes these commits to remediate the issue. No additional mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Description
CVE-2025-71234 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel's rtl8xxxu Wi-Fi driver. The driver fails to set hw->sta_data_size, causing mac80211 to allocate insufficient memory for driver private station data. This leads to a slab-out-of-bounds write when rtl8xxxu_sta_add accesses driver-specific data. The issue was identified via KASAN on RISC-V hardware with an RTL8192EU adapter. The flaw is fixed by setting hw->sta_data_size properly during driver probe to ensure correct memory allocation.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d810ba377eddee95d30766d360a14efbb3d1872 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/116f7bd8160c6b37d1c6939385abf90f6f6ed2f5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a0f3fa6ecd0c9c32dbc367a57482bbf7c7d25bf (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/86c946bcc00f6390ef65e9614ae60a9377e454f8 (opens in a new tab)