CVE-2025-22128
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a kernel warning issue in the ath12k WiFi driver for Linux when handling IRQ affinity hints during error conditions. It affects systems using ath12k WiFi hardware with shared IRQs due to platform limitations. The vulnerability doesn't allow remote code execution but can cause kernel warnings and potential system instability.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with ath12k WiFi 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 →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 or system crash if the warning triggers during critical operations, leading to denial of service.
Likely Case
Kernel warning messages in system logs during WiFi driver initialization failures, potentially causing driver malfunction.
If Mitigated
Minor system log warnings with no functional impact on properly configured systems.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local access and specific hardware/driver configuration to trigger the error condition.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Linux kernel with commits 35b33ba76765ce9e72949d957f3cf1feafd2955c, a69a594794fcad96d4cfce12aab6c5014a12b4c8, b43b1e2c52db77c872bd60d30cdcc72c47df70c7
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/35b33ba76765ce9e72949d957f3cf1feafd2955c
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. Reboot system to load new kernel. 3. Verify ath12k driver loads without warnings.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable ath12k WiFi
linuxPrevent ath12k driver from loading to avoid the vulnerability
echo 'blacklist ath12k' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-ath12k.conf
update-initramfs -u
reboot
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Avoid using ath12k WiFi hardware on affected systems
- Ensure system has dedicated IRQs available for WiFi hardware
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check kernel logs for 'ath12k' driver warnings during boot or WiFi initialization: dmesg | grep -i ath12kCheck Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits and check dmesg for absence of IRQ affinity warnings: uname -r && dmesg | grep -i 'affinity_hint\|ath12k'📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel warnings about IRQ affinity hints in dmesg
- 'ath12k' driver error messages during initialization
Network Indicators:
- WiFi connectivity issues on systems with ath12k hardware
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("ath12k" OR "affinity_hint") AND level="warning"