CVE-2026-72490: Linux kernel · staging: rtl8723bs: fix stainfo check in rtw_aes_decrypt
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.
Data as of 9 Nov 2026, 14:02 UTC
CVSS:4.0/AV:A/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:NExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: 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 9 Nov 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-aws-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.11pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.11?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-6.17pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-6.17?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.14pkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde-6.14?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available for this vulnerability as it has been resolved in the specified Linux kernel versions. Users and administrators should update to the fixed kernel versions listed in the affectedVersions field to remediate this issue.
Description
A high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel's rtl8723bs staging driver was fixed by correcting a null-pointer check in the rtw_aes_decrypt function. The original check incorrectly returned failure on valid pointers, which was inverted to properly return failure only on invalid pointers. This flaw affected multiple specific Linux kernel versions.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-72490 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72490 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/9a3f9b3c47d8f071b0eb9e63906ac0448058278d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a3f9b3c47d8f071b0eb9e63906ac0448058278d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fde2296f87b72ccd72460ce13ad56e8652b321d4 (opens in a new tab)