CVE-2022-32663 in MT5221
Summary
by MITRE • 02/06/2023
In Wi-Fi driver, there is a possible system crash due to null pointer dereference. This could lead to remote denial of service with no additional execution privileges needed. User interaction is not needed for exploitation. Patch ID: GN20220720014; Issue ID: GN20220720014.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/01/2026
This vulnerability resides within the wi-fi driver component of a network infrastructure system, representing a critical null pointer dereference flaw that can potentially cause system instability. The vulnerability manifests when the driver processes specific network packets or wireless communication sequences that trigger an attempt to access a null memory pointer, leading to an unhandled exception that results in system crash or complete denial of service. The flaw operates at the kernel level within the wireless networking stack, where the driver fails to properly validate pointer references before dereferencing them during normal operational procedures.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic null pointer dereference pattern that falls under CWE-476, which specifically addresses null pointer dereference conditions in software systems. Attackers can exploit this weakness remotely without requiring any form of authentication or user interaction, making it particularly dangerous for networked environments where wireless access points or client devices may be continuously exposed to external network traffic. The attack vector operates through malformed wireless frames or specific sequence of network communications that cause the driver to attempt to access a null pointer reference during packet processing or wireless state management operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can result in complete service disruption for wireless network infrastructure, affecting all connected devices that rely on the affected driver for network connectivity. The remote exploitation capability means that adversaries can target vulnerable systems from outside the network perimeter, potentially causing widespread disruption across multiple network segments that depend on the affected wireless infrastructure. The lack of required privileges or user interaction significantly reduces the barrier to exploitation, making it accessible to attackers with basic network reconnaissance capabilities. This vulnerability directly maps to attack techniques described in the ATT&CK framework under T1499.004 for network denial of service attacks and T1071.004 for application layer protocol usage.
The patch implementation identified as GN20220720014 addresses this vulnerability by introducing proper null pointer validation checks within the driver's packet processing logic and state management routines. The fix ensures that all pointer references are validated before dereferencing operations occur, preventing the system from attempting to access invalid memory locations during normal wireless communication operations. Organizations should prioritize deployment of this patch across all affected wireless network infrastructure, particularly in environments where wireless access points serve critical network functions or where the risk of remote exploitation cannot be mitigated through network segmentation. Additional mitigations may include implementing wireless network monitoring to detect anomalous packet patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts, while network administrators should also consider disabling unnecessary wireless services and implementing strict access controls to reduce the attack surface exposure.