CVE-2026-72490 staging: rtl8723bs: fix stainfo check in rtw_aes_decrypt
A logic error in the rtl8723bs Wi-Fi driver causes a null pointer dereference, leading to a system crash for local or adjacent attackers.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72490?
CVE-2026-72490 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
staging: rtl8723bs: fix stainfo check in rtw_aes_decrypt
The null-pointer-guard was incorrect, returning _FAIL on valid pointer. Invert the guard, so it returns _FAIL on invalid pointer.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72490?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72490?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-72490 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72490 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72490, GHSA-w4pw-r5h6-2975, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72490.