CVE-2022-49123
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a deadlock vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ath11k wireless driver that prevents management frame flushing during deauthentication. The deadlock causes system warnings and can lead to denial of service conditions. Systems using affected ath11k-based wireless hardware with vulnerable kernel versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ath11k driver
📦 What is this software?
Linux Kernel by Linux
The Linux Kernel is the core component of the Linux operating system, serving as the critical interface between computer hardware and software processes. As the heart of millions of servers, cloud infrastructure, embedded systems, Android devices, and IoT deployments worldwide, the Linux Kernel mana...
Learn more about Linux Kernel →⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete denial of wireless service, system instability requiring reboot, and potential for privilege escalation if combined with other vulnerabilities.
Likely Case
Wireless connectivity disruption, dropped management frames, and system warnings/hung task alerts during deauthentication events.
If Mitigated
Minor performance impact during deauthentication with proper patching.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires ability to trigger deauthentication events and knowledge of wireless network operations.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Patches available in stable kernel trees (commits 261b07519518bd14cb168b287b17e1d195f8d0c8 and 33e723dc054edfc94da90eecca3b72cb424ce4a3)
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/261b07519518bd14cb168b287b17e1d195f8d0c8
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix. 2. For distributions: Use package manager (apt/yum/dnf) to update kernel. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Increase flush timeout
linuxTemporarily increase ATH11K_FLUSH_TIMEOUT to allow more time for flush operations
echo 50 > /sys/module/ath11k/parameters/ATH11K_FLUSH_TIMEOUT
Adjust hung task timeout
linuxIncrease system hung task timeout to reduce warning frequency
echo 20 > /proc/sys/kernel/hung_task_timeout_secs
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Monitor system logs for 'failed to flush mgmt transmit queue' warnings
- Consider disabling affected wireless interfaces if stability issues occur
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and look for 'failed to flush mgmt transmit queue' in dmesg or system logsCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and no deadlock warnings appear during deauthentication tests📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- 'failed to flush mgmt transmit queue'
- 'dropping mgmt frame for vdev'
- hung task warnings mentioning ath11k
Network Indicators:
- Unusual deauthentication patterns
- Wireless connectivity disruptions
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("failed to flush mgmt" OR "dropping mgmt frame" OR "ath11k" AND "blocked")