CVE-2022-33290 in APQ8017
Summary
by MITRE • 01/09/2023
Transient DOS in Bluetooth HOST due to null pointer dereference when a mismatched argument is passed.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-33290 represents a transient denial of service condition affecting Bluetooth host implementations through a null pointer dereference scenario. This issue manifests when the Bluetooth host stack encounters a malformed argument during processing, leading to a system crash or service interruption that requires manual intervention to restore normal operation. The vulnerability resides within the host stack's argument validation mechanisms, where insufficient input sanitization allows malicious or malformed data to trigger unexpected system behavior.
The technical flaw stems from inadequate null pointer checks within the Bluetooth host processing logic. When a mismatched argument is passed to the host stack, the system attempts to dereference a null pointer without proper validation, resulting in an immediate system termination or crash. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-476 category of NULL Pointer Dereference, which represents one of the most common and dangerous classes of software defects. The vulnerability specifically impacts the Bluetooth host component's ability to handle malformed input gracefully, creating a window of opportunity for adversaries to disrupt Bluetooth services.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability can cause significant disruption to Bluetooth-enabled devices and systems, particularly in environments where continuous connectivity is critical. The transient nature of the denial of service means that once triggered, the system becomes unresponsive to Bluetooth communications until manual restart or recovery procedures are executed. This can affect various device types including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and IoT devices that rely on Bluetooth for connectivity. The impact extends beyond simple service interruption to potentially compromise device availability in mission-critical applications where Bluetooth connectivity is essential for operation.
The vulnerability aligns with several ATT&CK tactics including TA0043 (Reconnaissance) and TA0040 (Defense Evasion) as attackers can potentially use this flaw to disrupt services or gain insights into system behavior. The null pointer dereference represents a classic exploitation vector that can be leveraged by adversaries to cause system instability and service disruption. Organizations should implement robust input validation mechanisms and ensure proper error handling within Bluetooth host implementations. The recommended mitigations include applying vendor-specific patches, implementing input sanitization routines, and establishing monitoring systems to detect anomalous Bluetooth traffic patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts.
Security practitioners should prioritize this vulnerability in their assessment protocols given its potential to cause service disruption across multiple device categories. The transient nature of the issue means that detection may be challenging, requiring continuous monitoring of system stability and service availability. Organizations utilizing Bluetooth technologies should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments and ensure that their Bluetooth host implementations include proper null pointer validation and graceful error handling mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of robust software design principles and proper input validation in preventing exploitation of fundamental programming errors that can lead to system instability and service interruption.