CVE-2022-47331 in SC9863A
Summary
by MITRE • 02/12/2023
In wlan driver, there is a race condition. This could lead to local denial of service in wlan services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/10/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2022-47331 represents a critical race condition flaw within wireless local area network driver implementations that affects the broader wireless communication infrastructure. This issue manifests in the underlying driver code where multiple threads or processes attempt to access shared resources simultaneously without proper synchronization mechanisms, creating a window of opportunity for system instability. The race condition specifically impacts the wlan services functionality, which governs wireless network connectivity and management operations within operating systems and embedded wireless devices. Such vulnerabilities are particularly concerning because they can be exploited by malicious actors to disrupt wireless services without requiring elevated privileges, making them attractive targets for attackers seeking to compromise network availability.
The technical implementation of this race condition occurs when the wireless driver fails to properly coordinate access to critical shared memory regions or hardware resources during concurrent operations. When multiple processes attempt to modify or access the same driver state variables or network configuration parameters simultaneously, the system may enter an inconsistent state where data corruption occurs or operations fail unpredictably. This flaw typically arises from inadequate mutex locking, semaphore implementation, or atomic operation handling within the driver codebase, creating scenarios where one thread's operations interfere with another's execution path. The vulnerability can manifest as kernel panics, service crashes, or complete wireless service unavailability, depending on the specific nature of the shared resource contention and the driver's error handling mechanisms.
The operational impact of CVE-2022-47331 extends beyond simple service disruption to potentially compromise the entire wireless networking infrastructure of affected systems. Local attackers can exploit this vulnerability to induce denial of service conditions that render wireless connectivity unavailable, affecting devices ranging from laptops and smartphones to enterprise wireless access points and IoT devices. The implications are particularly severe in environments where wireless connectivity is critical for operations, such as healthcare facilities, industrial control systems, or emergency response networks. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-362, which specifically addresses race conditions in concurrent programming, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1499.003 for network denial of service attacks. The local nature of the exploit means that attackers do not require network access or special privileges to trigger the condition, making it particularly dangerous for systems where local access is not strictly controlled.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2022-47331 should focus on implementing proper synchronization mechanisms within the wireless driver code to prevent concurrent access to shared resources. System administrators should prioritize applying vendor-provided patches and updates that address the race condition through improved locking mechanisms, atomic operations, or proper resource management protocols. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing network monitoring solutions that can detect unusual wireless service behavior patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of robust driver testing and formal verification processes, particularly for critical system components that handle concurrent operations. Security teams should also establish baseline configurations that minimize the attack surface and implement logging mechanisms to track wireless service disruptions that could indicate exploitation of this or similar race condition vulnerabilities.