CVE-2022-23303 in wpa_supplicant
Summary
by MITRE • 01/17/2022
The implementations of SAE in hostapd before 2.10 and wpa_supplicant before 2.10 are vulnerable to side channel attacks as a result of cache access patterns. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2019-9494.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/30/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-23303 represents a critical side channel attack susceptibility within the Secure Association Establishment (SAE) protocol implementations found in hostapd and wpa_supplicant software components. This flaw specifically targets the cryptographic operations involved in the WPA3 wireless security protocol's handshake process, where the software implementations exhibit predictable cache access patterns that can be exploited by attackers to infer sensitive cryptographic information. The vulnerability manifests in versions prior to 2.10 of both hostapd and wpa_supplicant, indicating a widespread issue affecting the core wireless authentication infrastructure used by numerous network devices and access points.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the improper handling of cache memory access patterns during the SAE cryptographic computations. When these implementations perform elliptic curve operations and other cryptographic functions, they create predictable memory access sequences that can be observed through cache timing attacks. This weakness allows an attacker positioned within the wireless network's proximity to monitor cache behavior and extract information about the cryptographic keys being processed. The flaw is particularly concerning because it operates at the protocol implementation level rather than the theoretical cryptographic algorithm level, making it a software-specific vulnerability that can be exploited regardless of the underlying mathematical security of the SAE protocol itself.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can potentially enable attackers to perform more sophisticated attacks such as full key recovery or session hijacking within wireless networks. This represents a significant threat to wireless network security, particularly in environments where wireless access points and client devices are deployed without proper physical security controls. The vulnerability affects networks using WPA3 security protocols, which are increasingly adopted as the standard for wireless network protection, making the potential attack surface substantial. Network administrators and security professionals must consider that this weakness can be exploited by adversaries with relatively modest resources, as cache timing attacks do not require extremely sophisticated equipment or extensive computational power.
The vulnerability is classified under CWE-310, which specifically addresses Cryptographic Issues, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments, though the actual exploitation would occur through wireless network monitoring rather than traditional network attacks. The incomplete fix for the previous CVE-2019-9494 issue suggests that the developers may have addressed some aspects of the cache timing vulnerability while leaving other implementation details exposed, creating a scenario where the security improvements were not comprehensive enough to fully eliminate the attack surface. This pattern of partial fixes is common in cryptographic implementations where the complexity of securing against side channel attacks requires extensive testing and validation across multiple attack vectors. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation strategies including updating to hostapd and wpa_supplicant versions 2.10 or later, and considering additional network security measures such as monitoring for suspicious wireless activity and implementing stronger physical security controls around wireless infrastructure.