diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.c b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.c
index 3ddbcdc2a..53d101daf 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.c
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.c
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ struct opae_bridge_ops ifpga_br_ops = {
 };
 
 /* Manager APIs */
-static int ifpga_mgr_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, void *buf,
+static int ifpga_mgr_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, const char *buf,
 			   u32 size, u64 *status)
 {
 	struct ifpga_fme_hw *fme = mgr->data;
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ struct opae_adapter_ops ifpga_adapter_ops = {
  *   - 0: Success, partial reconfiguration finished.
  *   - <0: Error code returned in partial reconfiguration.
  **/
-int ifpga_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
+int ifpga_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, const char *buffer, u32 size,
 	     u64 *status)
 {
 	if (!is_valid_port_id(hw, port_id))
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.h b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.h
index 4a247698c..051ab8276 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.h
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_api.h
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ int ifpga_set_irq(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 fiu_id, u32 port_id,
 		  u32 feature_id, void *irq_set);
 
 /* FME APIs */
-int ifpga_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
+int ifpga_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, const char *buffer, u32 size,
 	     u64 *status);
 
 #endif /* _IFPGA_API_H_ */
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_feature_dev.h b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_feature_dev.h
index bb9fcc289..e243d4273 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_feature_dev.h
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_feature_dev.h
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ static inline int fpga_port_reset(struct ifpga_port_hw *port)
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int do_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
+int do_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, const char *buffer, u32 size,
 	  u64 *status);
 
 int fme_get_prop(struct ifpga_fme_hw *fme, struct feature_prop *prop);
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_fme_pr.c b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_fme_pr.c
index efa72660f..9997942d2 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_fme_pr.c
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/ifpga_fme_pr.c
@@ -223,8 +223,8 @@ static int fpga_pr_buf_load(struct ifpga_fme_hw *fme_dev,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int fme_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
-		  u64 *status)
+static int fme_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, const char *buffer,
+		u32 size, u64 *status)
 {
 	struct feature_fme_header *fme_hdr;
 	struct feature_fme_capability fme_capability;
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ static int fme_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
 	/* Disable Port before PR */
 	fpga_port_disable(port);
 
-	ret = fpga_pr_buf_load(fme, &info, (void *)buffer, size);
+	ret = fpga_pr_buf_load(fme, &info, buffer, size);
 
 	*status = info.pr_err;
 
@@ -280,27 +280,32 @@ static int fme_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size,
 	return ret;
 }
 
-int do_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, void *buffer, u32 size, u64 *status)
+int do_pr(struct ifpga_hw *hw, u32 port_id, const char *buffer,
+		u32 size, u64 *status)
 {
-	struct bts_header *bts_hdr;
-	void *buf;
+	const struct bts_header *bts_hdr;
+	const char *buf;
 	struct ifpga_port_hw *port;
 	int ret;
+	u32 header_size;
 
 	if (!buffer || size == 0) {
 		dev_err(hw, "invalid parameter\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
-	bts_hdr = (struct bts_header *)buffer;
+	bts_hdr = (const struct bts_header *)buffer;
 
 	if (is_valid_bts(bts_hdr)) {
 		dev_info(hw, "this is a valid bitsteam..\n");
-		size -= (sizeof(struct bts_header) +
-				     bts_hdr->metadata_len);
-		buf = (u8 *)buffer + sizeof(struct bts_header) +
-			       bts_hdr->metadata_len;
+		header_size = sizeof(struct bts_header) +
+			bts_hdr->metadata_len;
+		if (size < header_size)
+			return -EINVAL;
+		size -= header_size;
+		buf = buffer + header_size;
 	} else {
+		dev_err(hw, "this is an invalid bitstream..\n");
 		return -EINVAL;
 	}
 
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.c b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.c
index 0e117d05e..8964e7984 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.c
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.c
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ opae_manager_alloc(const char *name, struct opae_manager_ops *ops,
  *
  * Return: 0 on success, otherwise error code.
  */
-int opae_manager_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, void *buf, u32 size,
-		       u64 *status)
+int opae_manager_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, const char *buf,
+		u32 size, u64 *status)
 {
 	if (!mgr)
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.h b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.h
index 383e751cb..63405a471 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.h
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/base/opae_hw_api.h
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct opae_manager {
 
 /* FIXME: add more management ops, e.g power/thermal and etc */
 struct opae_manager_ops {
-	int (*flash)(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, void *buffer,
+	int (*flash)(struct opae_manager *mgr, int id, const char *buffer,
 		     u32 size, u64 *status);
 	int (*get_eth_group_region_info)(struct opae_manager *mgr,
 			struct opae_eth_group_region_info *info);
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ struct opae_manager *
 opae_manager_alloc(const char *name, struct opae_manager_ops *ops,
 		struct opae_manager_networking_ops *network_ops, void *data);
 #define opae_manager_free(mgr) opae_free(mgr)
-int opae_manager_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int acc_id, void *buf,
+int opae_manager_flash(struct opae_manager *mgr, int acc_id, const char *buf,
 		       u32 size, u64 *status);
 int opae_manager_get_eth_group_region_info(struct opae_manager *mgr,
 		u8 group_id, struct opae_eth_group_region_info *info);
diff --git a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/ifpga_rawdev.c b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/ifpga_rawdev.c
index 41be1a205..01aa917de 100644
--- a/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/ifpga_rawdev.c
+++ b/drivers/raw/ifpga_rawdev/ifpga_rawdev.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ ifpga_rawdev_reset(struct rte_rawdev *dev)
 }
 
 static int
-fpga_pr(struct rte_rawdev *raw_dev, u32 port_id, u64 *buffer, u32 size,
+fpga_pr(struct rte_rawdev *raw_dev, u32 port_id, const char *buffer, u32 size,
 			u64 *status)
 {
 
@@ -296,6 +296,11 @@ rte_fpga_do_pr(struct rte_rawdev *rawdev, int port_id,
 		goto close_fd;
 	}
 	buffer_size = file_stat.st_size;
+	if (buffer_size <= 0) {
+		ret = -EINVAL;
+		goto close_fd;
+	}
+
 	IFPGA_RAWDEV_PMD_INFO("bitstream file size: %zu\n", buffer_size);
 	buffer = rte_malloc(NULL, buffer_size, 0);
 	if (!buffer) {
