Buffer overflow in Realtek Rtl8811au

CVE-2025-8301

Realtek RTL8811AU rtwlanu.sys N6CSet_DOT11_CIPHER_DEFAULT_KEY Heap-based Buffer Overflow Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Realtek RTL8811AU drivers. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the N6CSet_DOT11_CIPHER_DEFAULT_KEY function. The issue results from the lack of proper validation of the length of user-supplied data prior to copying it to a fixed-length heap-based buffer. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of SYSTEM. Was ZDI-CAN-24786.

Vulnerability class: Buffer Overflow

EPSS: 0.001 (3.6th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

Public proof-of-concept exploits

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-8301?
CVE-2025-8301 is a high-severity vulnerability in Realtek Rtl8811au, classified under Heap-based Buffer Overflow. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2025-09-02.
How severe is CVE-2025-8301?
High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.
Is CVE-2025-8301 known to be exploited?
2 public proof-of-concept repositories are indexed. Not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.