CVE-2022-33286 in APQ8009
Summary
by MITRE • 01/09/2023
Transient DOS due to buffer over-read in WLAN while processing 802.11 management frames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical transient denial of service condition affecting wireless local area network implementations that process 802.11 management frames. The flaw manifests as a buffer over-read during the processing of specific wireless management frame structures, creating a scenario where legitimate network operations can be disrupted through carefully crafted malicious frames. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 category of out-of-bounds read conditions, where the wireless driver or firmware attempts to access memory locations beyond the allocated buffer boundaries. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous in wireless environments as it can be exploited by remote attackers within the wireless range without requiring authentication or prior access to the network. The transient nature of this denial of service means that the condition typically resolves itself once the malicious frame is processed or the system resets, but during the active exploitation period, legitimate network services become unavailable to authorized users. The impact extends beyond simple service disruption as it can affect network connectivity for all devices within the affected wireless domain, potentially causing cascading failures in dependent systems that rely on wireless connectivity.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when wireless network interfaces receive and process 802.11 management frames that contain malformed or specially constructed fields within the frame header or body. During frame processing, the wireless driver's parsing logic fails to properly validate buffer boundaries before reading frame data, leading to memory access violations that cause system instability or complete service interruption. This flaw is particularly concerning because 802.11 management frames are frequently transmitted in wireless networks and are essential for network operation including authentication, association, and beacon frame exchanges. The vulnerability can be exploited through various frame types including beacon frames, probe request frames, or association response frames, making it difficult to defend against as these are fundamental components of wireless communication protocols. Attackers can craft malicious frames with oversized or malformed fields that trigger the buffer over-read condition, causing the wireless interface to crash or become unresponsive. The exploit requires minimal privileges and can be executed from any location within wireless transmission range, making it an attractive target for network disruption attacks.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risks for organizations relying on wireless infrastructure, particularly in enterprise, healthcare, or industrial environments where wireless connectivity is critical for operations. The transient nature of the denial of service means that administrators may experience intermittent network outages that are difficult to diagnose and remediate, as the disruption occurs during normal network operation without clear indicators of the underlying cause. Network monitoring systems may not immediately identify the malicious frames as the source of disruption, leading to extended downtime and potential business impact. The vulnerability affects both client devices and access points, meaning that a single malicious frame can potentially disrupt wireless services for an entire network segment. Organizations may experience cascading effects as dependent systems lose connectivity, including security systems, IoT devices, and business applications that rely on wireless network access. The attack surface is broad as virtually any wireless device that processes 802.11 management frames is potentially vulnerable, including smartphones, laptops, wireless routers, and specialized industrial equipment. This makes the vulnerability particularly challenging to secure across heterogeneous environments where wireless infrastructure components may be from different vendors and operating on various firmware versions.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on both immediate defensive measures and long-term architectural improvements. Network administrators should implement wireless intrusion detection systems that can identify and filter malicious management frames before they reach vulnerable devices. Firmware updates from device vendors represent the most effective long-term solution, as these patches address the root cause by implementing proper buffer boundary checks and input validation. Organizations should also consider implementing wireless network segmentation to limit the scope of potential attacks and reduce the impact of successful exploitation attempts. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in management frame traffic that may indicate exploitation attempts. The implementation of robust input validation controls and memory safety mechanisms in wireless driver code is essential for preventing similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Additionally, organizations should develop incident response procedures specifically tailored to wireless network disruptions, including rapid identification and isolation of affected wireless segments. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of applying security patches promptly and maintaining up-to-date wireless infrastructure to prevent exploitation of known vulnerabilities that can cause widespread service disruption across enterprise networks.