Re: [PATCH] staging: rtl8723bs: use kfree_sensitive() for key material

[Greg KH <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>]

On Mon, Jul 13, 2026 at 05:37:53PM -0600, Ivy Lopez wrote:
> The set_stakey_parm struct contains a 16-byte encryption key.
> Use kfree_sensitive() instead of kfree() to ensure the key
> material is zeroed before the memory is freed, preventing
> potential information leaks.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Ivy Lopez <skunkolee@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_cmd.c | 8 ++++----
>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_cmd.c b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_cmd.c
> index b932670f5d63..a34ee407285b 100644
> --- a/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_cmd.c
> +++ b/drivers/staging/rtl8723bs/core/rtw_cmd.c
> @@ -899,7 +899,7 @@ u8 rtw_setstakey_cmd(struct adapter *padapter, struct sta_info *sta, u8 unicast_
>  	if (enqueue) {
>  		ph2c = kzalloc_obj(*ph2c);
>  		if (!ph2c) {
> -			kfree(psetstakey_para);
> +			kfree_sensitive(psetstakey_para);
>  			res = _FAIL;
>  			goto exit;
>  		}
> @@ -907,7 +907,7 @@ u8 rtw_setstakey_cmd(struct adapter *padapter, struct sta_info *sta, u8 unicast_
>  		psetstakey_rsp = kzalloc_obj(*psetstakey_rsp);
>  		if (!psetstakey_rsp) {
>  			kfree(ph2c);
> -			kfree(psetstakey_para);
> +			kfree_sensitive(psetstakey_para);
>  			res = _FAIL;
>  			goto exit;
>  		}
> @@ -918,7 +918,7 @@ u8 rtw_setstakey_cmd(struct adapter *padapter, struct sta_info *sta, u8 unicast_
>  		res = rtw_enqueue_cmd(pcmdpriv, ph2c);
>  	} else {
>  		set_stakey_hdl(padapter, (u8 *)psetstakey_para);
> -		kfree(psetstakey_para);
> +		kfree_sensitive(psetstakey_para);
>  	}
>  exit:
>  	return res;
> @@ -958,7 +958,7 @@ u8 rtw_clearstakey_cmd(struct adapter *padapter, struct sta_info *sta, u8 enqueu
>  		psetstakey_rsp = kzalloc_obj(*psetstakey_rsp);
>  		if (!psetstakey_rsp) {
>  			kfree(ph2c);
> -			kfree(psetstakey_para);
> +			kfree_sensitive(psetstakey_para);
>  			res = _FAIL;
>  			goto exit;
>  		}
> -- 
> 2.55.0
> 
> 

Hi,

This is the friendly patch-bot of Greg Kroah-Hartman.  You have sent him
a patch that has triggered this response.  He used to manually respond
to these common problems, but in order to save his sanity (he kept
writing the same thing over and over, yet to different people), I was
created.  Hopefully you will not take offence and will fix the problem
in your patch and resubmit it so that it can be accepted into the Linux
kernel tree.

You are receiving this message because of the following common error(s)
as indicated below:

- This looks like a new version of a previously submitted patch, but you
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  Please read the section entitled "The canonical patch format" in the
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  needs to be done here to properly describe this.

If you wish to discuss this problem further, or you have questions about
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thanks,

greg k-h's patch email bot