dbcve.org
Wi Fi Usb DriverApplication · Realtek

CVE-2025-8300

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2025-09-02
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 1030.52.0325.2025 or later.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Realtek rtl81xx SDK Wi-Fi Driver rtwlanu Heap-based Buffer Overflow Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of Realtek rtl81xx SDK Wi-Fi driver. 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-26552.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Heap-based buffer overflow in Realtek rtl81xx SDK Wi-Fi driver within the N6CSet_DOT11_CIPHER_DEFAULT_KEY function. The vulnerability results from insufficient validation of user-supplied data length before copying to a fixed-size heap buffer, enabling a local attacker with low-privileged code execution to escalate to SYSTEM context and execute arbitrary code.

MitigationApply vendor-provided patch or updated driver version if available; otherwise, restrict access to the Wi-Fi driver and consider disabling the affected wireless interface as a compensating control.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Wi Fi Usb DriverApplication
Affected:< 1030.52.0325.2025

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify Realtek Wi-Fi hardware in use
    Check system device manager or network adapters list for Realtek RTL81xx USB Wi-Fi adapters. On Windows: run `devmgmt.msc` and look under Network adapters. On Linux: run `lsusb` or check `lspci` for Realtek wireless devices.
    Affected if Realtek rtl81xx series Wi-Fi USB adapter is present in the system
  2. Check installed Realtek Wi-Fi driver version
    Windows: Right-click the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter in Device Manager > Properties > Driver tab > Driver Version. Alternatively, run `driverquery /v | findstr -i realtek` or check `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\rtwlan*.sys` file properties. Linux: check with `modinfo rtl8xxxu` or check the loaded module version.
    Affected if Driver version is lower than 1030.52.0325.2025
  3. Verify the Wi-Fi driver is loaded and active
    Windows: Check if the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter is enabled in Device Manager and showing as operational. Run `netsh wlan show interfaces` to confirm the wireless interface is active. Linux: run `lsmod | grep rtl` to confirm driver module is loaded.
    Affected if The Realtek Wi-Fi driver is loaded and the wireless interface is active/enabled
  4. Confirm the N6CSet_DOT11_CIPHER_DEFAULT_KEY function is reachable
    This function handles Wi-Fi encryption key configuration. The vulnerability triggers when setting cipher/default keys. Check if Wi-Fi is configured to use encryption (WPA/WPA2/WPA3) and if the driver accepts key configuration requests.
    Affected if Wi-Fi is enabled and configured with encryption, making the vulnerable function reachable through key setting operations

If a Realtek rtl81xx USB Wi-Fi adapter is present with a driver version below 1030.52.0325.2025 and the Wi-Fi interface is active with encryption enabled, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 1030.52.0325.2025 or later
Fixed in 1030.52.0325.2025
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-provided patch or updated driver version if available; otherwise, restrict access to the Wi-Fi driver and consider disabling the affected wireless interface as a compensating control.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Realtek rtl81xx SDK Wi-Fi Driver version 1030.52.0325.2025 or later

  1. Identify the Realtek rtl81xx Wi-Fi USB Driver installed on the system
  2. Check the current driver version through Device Manager or driver enumeration tools
  3. Navigate to the official Realtek website or authorized driver distribution channel
  4. Download the updated Realtek Wi-Fi USB driver version 1030.52.0325.2025 or later
  5. Extract the driver package and run the installer with elevated privileges
  6. Restart the system to complete driver installation
  7. Verify the installed driver version matches the fixed release

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Wi Fi Usb Driver Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,224.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-8300 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-8300 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data