Tags: Linux

Linux Wi-Fi driver suffers from a major security bug

Security researchers have warned that the Linux Wi-Fi driver suffers from a major vulnerability which can potentially allow an attacker to take control of a laptop.

The problem is so critical that the attack can happen even when the user is not on a Wi-Fi network. Experts believe that this is the first remotely executable Wi-Fi bug of its kind and specially affects the MadWi-Fi Linux kernel device driver for Atheros-based Wi-Fi chipsets.

Laurent Butti, a researcher from France Telecom Orange discovered this flaw and he had released the relevant information at the last month’s Black Hat conference in Amsterdam.

He said: “You may be vulnerable if you do not manually patch your MadWi-Fi driver.” He did share the problem with the developers of the MadWi-Fi Linux kernel device driver who have now released a patch for the affected users.

Checkout: Multiband Atheros Driver for WiFi (MADWIFI)