CVE-2022-49484
📋 TL;DR
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's MediaTek MT7915 wireless driver could cause kernel panics or system crashes when processing certain network packets. This affects systems using MediaTek MT7915 Wi-Fi 6 chipsets with specific driver configurations. The vulnerability requires local network access to trigger.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek MT7915 wireless 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
Kernel panic leading to system crash and denial of service, potentially requiring physical reboot.
Likely Case
System instability or crash when processing malformed wireless packets, causing temporary service disruption.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper network segmentation and driver updates.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires sending specially crafted wireless packets to the vulnerable interface.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel stable releases containing commits 268e8ef187eb8780d021b0e4f5ffa92dee5c4983 and 62fdc974894eec80d678523458cf99bbdb887e22
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/268e8ef187eb8780d021b0e4f5ffa92dee5c4983
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to patched version. 2. Rebuild kernel modules if using custom kernel. 3. Reboot system to load new kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable vulnerable wireless interface
linuxTemporarily disable the MediaTek MT7915 wireless interface to prevent exploitation
sudo ip link set wlan0 down
sudo rfkill block wifi
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network segmentation to isolate wireless networks from critical systems
- Use wired network connections instead of wireless where possible
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel version and if MediaTek MT7915 driver is loaded: lsmod | grep mt7915Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version is updated and check driver version matches patched releases📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- NULL pointer dereference errors in kernel logs
- System crash/reboot events
Network Indicators:
- Unusual wireless packet patterns targeting MT7915 interfaces
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("NULL pointer dereference" OR "panic" OR "oops") AND "mt7915"