CVE-2019-17666
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is a buffer overflow in the Linux kernel's Realtek wireless driver (rtlwifi) due to missing bounds checking in the rtl_p2p_noa_ie function. It allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause denial of service on affected systems. Systems running Linux kernels up to version 5.3.6 with Realtek wireless hardware are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →Ubuntu Linux by Canonical
Ubuntu Linux by Canonical
Ubuntu Linux by Canonical
Ubuntu Linux by Canonical
Ubuntu Linux by Canonical
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Remote code execution with kernel privileges leading to complete system compromise.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
Limited impact if wireless interfaces are disabled or properly firewalled.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires wireless network access to the target system. The vulnerability is in kernel-space code, making exploitation more complex but feasible.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel 5.3.7 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0328
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version 5.3.7 or later. 2. For Red Hat systems, apply security updates via 'yum update kernel'. 3. Reboot the system to load the patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Realtek wireless interface
linuxDisable the vulnerable wireless interface to prevent exploitation
sudo ip link set wlan0 down
sudo rfkill block wifi
Blacklist rtlwifi driver
linuxPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver
echo 'blacklist rtlwifi' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rtlwifi.conf
sudo update-initramfs -u
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Disable wireless networking entirely on affected systems
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate wireless networks from critical systems
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version with 'uname -r'. If version is 5.3.6 or earlier, check if Realtek wireless hardware is present with 'lspci | grep -i realtek' or 'lsusb | grep -i realtek'.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is 5.3.7 or later with 'uname -r'. Check that the system has been rebooted since kernel update.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic logs
- System crash dumps
- Wireless driver error messages in dmesg
Network Indicators:
- Unusual wireless traffic patterns
- Malformed Wi-Fi packets targeting Realtek devices
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "oops") AND ("rtlwifi" OR "Realtek")🔗 References
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00064.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00010.html
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0328
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0339
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0543
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0661
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0740
- https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/unpatched-linux-flaw-may-let-attackers-crash-or-compromise-nearby-devices/
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/01/msg00013.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/03/msg00001.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TRBP4O6D2SQ2NHCRHTJONGCZLWOIV5MN/
- https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/10/16/1226
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20191031-0005/
- https://twitter.com/nicowaisman/status/1184864519316758535
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4183-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4184-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4185-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4186-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4186-2/
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-10/msg00064.html
- http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-security-announce/2019-11/msg00010.html
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0328
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0339
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0543
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0661
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2020:0740
- https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/10/unpatched-linux-flaw-may-let-attackers-crash-or-compromise-nearby-devices/
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/01/msg00013.html
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2020/03/msg00001.html
- https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce%40lists.fedoraproject.org/message/TRBP4O6D2SQ2NHCRHTJONGCZLWOIV5MN/
- https://lkml.org/lkml/2019/10/16/1226
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20191031-0005/
- https://twitter.com/nicowaisman/status/1184864519316758535
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4183-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4184-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4185-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4186-1/
- https://usn.ubuntu.com/4186-2/
