Linux Kernel up to 5.10.120/5.15.45/5.17.13/5.18.2 ath11k ath11k_spectral_process_data null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability labeled as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.120/5.15.45/5.17.13/5.18.2. Impacted is the function ath11k_spectral_process_data of the component ath11k Module. Such manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2022-49523. There is no exploit available. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.10.120/5.15.45/5.17.13/5.18.2 and classified as critical. Affected by this issue is the function ath11k_spectral_process_data of the component ath11k Module. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. Impacted is availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ath11k: disable spectral scan during spectral deinit When ath11k modules are removed using rmmod with spectral scan enabled, crash is observed. Different crash trace is observed for each crash. Send spectral scan disable WMI command to firmware before cleaning the spectral dbring in the spectral_deinit API to avoid this crash. call trace from one of the crash observed: [ 1252.880802] Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 00000008 [ 1252.882722] pgd = 0f42e886 [ 1252.890955] [00000008] *pgd=00000000 [ 1252.893478] Internal error: Oops: 5 [#1] PREEMPT SMP ARM [ 1253.093035] CPU: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 5.4.89 #0 [ 1253.115261] Hardware name: Generic DT based system [ 1253.121149] PC is at ath11k_spectral_process_data+0x434/0x574 [ath11k] [ 1253.125940] LR is at 0x88e31017 [ 1253.132448] pc : [] lr : [] psr: a0000193 [ 1253.135488] sp : 80d01bc8 ip : 00000001 fp : 970e0000 [ 1253.141737] r10: 88e31000 r9 : 970ec000 r8 : 00000080 [ 1253.146946] r7 : 94734040 r6 : a0000113 r5 : 00000057 r4 : 00000000 [ 1253.152159] r3 : e18cb694 r2 : 00000217 r1 : 1df1f000 r0 : 00000001 [ 1253.158755] Flags: NzCv IRQs off FIQs on Mode SVC_32 ISA ARM Segment user [ 1253.165266] Control: 10c0383d Table: 5e71006a DAC: 00000055 [ 1253.172472] Process swapper/0 (pid: 0, stack limit = 0x60870141) [ 1253.458055] [] (ath11k_spectral_process_data [ath11k]) from [] (ath11k_dbring_buffer_release_event+0x214/0x2e4 [ath11k]) [ 1253.466139] [] (ath11k_dbring_buffer_release_event [ath11k]) from [] (ath11k_wmi_tlv_op_rx+0x1840/0x29cc [ath11k]) [ 1253.478807] [] (ath11k_wmi_tlv_op_rx [ath11k]) from [] (ath11k_htc_rx_completion_handler+0x180/0x4e0 [ath11k]) [ 1253.490699] [] (ath11k_htc_rx_completion_handler [ath11k]) from [] (ath11k_ce_per_engine_service+0x2c4/0x3b4 [ath11k]) [ 1253.502386] [] (ath11k_ce_per_engine_service [ath11k]) from [] (ath11k_pci_ce_tasklet+0x28/0x80 [ath11k_pci]) [ 1253.514811] [] (ath11k_pci_ce_tasklet [ath11k_pci]) from [] (tasklet_action_common.constprop.2+0x64/0xe8) [ 1253.526476] [] (tasklet_action_common.constprop.2) from [] (__do_softirq+0x130/0x2d0) [ 1253.537756] [] (__do_softirq) from [] (irq_exit+0xcc/0xe8) [ 1253.547304] [] (irq_exit) from [] (__handle_domain_irq+0x60/0xb4) [ 1253.554428] [] (__handle_domain_irq) from [] (gic_handle_irq+0x4c/0x90) [ 1253.562321] [] (gic_handle_irq) from [] (__irq_svc+0x58/0x8c) Tested-on: QCN6122 hw1.0 AHB WLAN.HK.2.6.0.1-00851-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is handled as CVE-2022-49523 since 02/26/2025. The exploitation is known to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 5.10.121, 5.15.46, 5.17.14 or 5.18.3 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 60afa4f4e1350c876d8a061182a70c224de275dd/451b9076903a057b7b8d5b24dc84b3e436a1c743/4b9c54caef58d2b55074710952cda70540722c01/8f15e67af9bec5a69e815e0230a70cffddae371a/161c64de239c7018e0295e7e0520a19f00aa32dc is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.120
• 5.15.0
• 5.15.1
• 5.15.2
• 5.15.3
• 5.15.4
• 5.15.5
• 5.15.6
• 5.15.7
• 5.15.8
• 5.15.9
• 5.15.10
• 5.15.11
• 5.15.12
• 5.15.13
• 5.15.14
• 5.15.15
• 5.15.16
• 5.15.17
• 5.15.18
• 5.15.19
• 5.15.20
• 5.15.21
• 5.15.22
• 5.15.23
• 5.15.24
• 5.15.25
• 5.15.26
• 5.15.27
• 5.15.28
• 5.15.29
• 5.15.30
• 5.15.31
• 5.15.32
• 5.15.33
• 5.15.34
• 5.15.35
• 5.15.36
• 5.15.37
• 5.15.38
• 5.15.39
• 5.15.40
• 5.15.41
• 5.15.42
• 5.15.43
• 5.15.44
• 5.15.45
• 5.17.0
• 5.17.1
• 5.17.2
• 5.17.3
• 5.17.4
• 5.17.5
• 5.17.6
• 5.17.7
• 5.17.8
• 5.17.9
• 5.17.10
• 5.17.11
• 5.17.12
• 5.17.13
• 5.18.0
• 5.18.1
• 5.18.2

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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