CVE-2022-50508
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability is an out-of-bounds memory access flaw in the MediaTek MT76 Wi-Fi driver for Linux kernel. It allows attackers with local access to potentially crash the system or execute arbitrary code by exploiting improper array indexing. Affects Linux systems using MediaTek MT76x0 Wi-Fi chipsets.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with MediaTek MT76 Wi-Fi driver
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local privilege escalation to kernel-level code execution, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Kernel panic or system crash causing denial of service.
If Mitigated
Limited to denial of service if kernel hardening features like KASLR are effective.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and knowledge of driver internals. No public exploits known as of analysis.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 6e1abc51c945663bddebfa1beb9590ff5b250eb7 or bf425c5d7ef6fb4083c1e0d46440f886127b5ee5
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e1abc51c945663bddebfa1beb9590ff5b250eb7
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 MT76 driver module
linuxPrevent loading of vulnerable driver if Wi-Fi functionality not required
echo 'blacklist mt76' | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-mt76.conf
sudo rmmod mt76
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict local user access to systems with vulnerable hardware
- Implement strict privilege separation and limit user capabilities
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if mt76 module is loaded: lsmod | grep mt76. Check kernel version: uname -r and verify against affected versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits or is newer than patched versions. Check dmesg for driver loading without errors.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel panic messages
- Ooops messages in dmesg
- Driver crash logs
Network Indicators:
- Sudden Wi-Fi disconnection on affected hardware
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("panic" OR "Oops" OR "mt76")