CVE-2022-50187
BaseFortify
Publication date: 2025-06-18
Last updated on: 2025-11-19
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15.160 (inc) to 5.16 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-362 | The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a race condition in the Linux kernel's ath11k wireless driver. It occurs when the network device is opened (netdev open) before all necessary resources and timers are properly allocated and initialized. Specifically, a racing open() call can trigger a kernel BUG in the mod_timer() function because ath11k_mac_op_start() is called before the mon_reap_timer is set up. This can cause the kernel to crash or behave unpredictably.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to crash or experience a BUG_ON() error during network device initialization, leading to system instability or denial of service. Systems using the affected ath11k wireless driver may become unreliable or unusable when this race condition occurs.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring the system kernel logs for BUG_ON() errors related to the ath11k driver, specifically looking for messages like 'kernel BUG at kernel/time/timer.c:990!' and call traces involving ath11k_mac_op_start and mod_timer. You can use commands such as 'dmesg | grep BUG' or 'journalctl -k | grep ath11k' to check for these errors in the kernel logs.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Immediate mitigation involves ensuring that your Linux kernel is updated to a version where this vulnerability is fixed, as the issue is resolved by allocating resources before registering the device to avoid the race condition. If updating is not immediately possible, avoid triggering the device open() operation repeatedly or concurrently to reduce the chance of hitting the race condition.