CVE-2022-49500 – This CVE addresses a kernel panic vulnerability... (How to Fix)

📋 TL;DR

This CVE addresses a kernel panic vulnerability in the wl1251 Wi-Fi driver for Linux. When using vmap'ed stacks (introduced in newer kernels), stack parameters can't be used for DMA operations, causing system crashes. This affects systems using wl1251 Wi-Fi chips, particularly on devices like the OpenPandora handheld.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Linux kernel with wl1251 driver

Versions: Linux kernel versions before the fix (specifically mentioned testing on v5.18-rc5)

Operating Systems: Linux distributions using affected kernel versions

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Only affects systems using wl1251 Wi-Fi chips (e.g., OpenPandora devices) and kernels with vmap'ed stacks enabled.

📦 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 complete system crash and denial of service, requiring physical reboot.

🟠

Likely Case

System instability and crashes when using wl1251 Wi-Fi functionality, making the device unusable for network operations.

🟢

If Mitigated

Minor performance impact from dynamic memory allocation instead of stack usage.

🌐 Internet-Facing: LOW - Requires local access to trigger, not remotely exploitable.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Local users or processes can trigger kernel panic, causing service disruption.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ✅ No

Weaponized: NO

Unauthenticated Exploit: ✅ No

Complexity: LOW - Triggered by normal Wi-Fi operations

Not a security exploit but a stability issue that causes denial of service through normal device usage.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: Fixed in kernel commits 454744754cbf2c21b3fc7344e46e10bee2768094 and da03bbfbf5acd1ab0b074617e865ad1e8a5779ef

Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/454744754cbf2c21b3fc7344e46e10bee2768094

Restart Required: Yes

Instructions:

1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix
2. Rebuild kernel if compiling from source
3. Reboot system to load new kernel

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable wl1251 driver

linux

Prevent loading of the vulnerable driver module

echo 'blacklist wl1251' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod wl1251

Use alternative Wi-Fi

all

Switch to different Wi-Fi hardware not using wl1251 chip

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Disable wl1251 Wi-Fi functionality entirely
Use devices without wl1251 chips or disable affected hardware

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check if wl1251 module is loaded: lsmod | grep wl1251
Check kernel version: uname -r
Check if device uses wl1251 chipset

Check Version:

uname -r

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify kernel version is after fix commits
Test Wi-Fi functionality with wl1251 driver loaded

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Kernel panic messages in /var/log/kern.log or dmesg
Wi-Fi driver crash logs
System crash/reboot logs

Network Indicators:

Wi-Fi connectivity loss on affected devices

SIEM Query:

source="kernel" AND "panic" AND "wl1251" OR source="system" AND event="crash" AND component="wifi"

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2022-49500

CVSS v3 Score: 5.5 (MEDIUM)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Score: 0.04% exploit probability (11th percentile)

Published: February 26, 2025

Last Updated: October 22, 2025

🔗 References

📤 Share & Export

📄 Export Markdown 📋 Export JSON