CVE-2022-49471·Kernel vulnerability
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rtw89: cfo: check mac_id to avoid out-of-bounds Somehow, hardware reports incorrect mac_id and pollute memory. Check index before we access the array. UBSAN: array-index-out-of-bounds in rtw89/phy.c:2517:23 index 188 is out of range for type 's32 [64]' CPU: 1 PID: 51550 Comm: irq/35-rtw89_pc Tainted: G OE Call Trace: <IRQ> show_stack+0x52/0x58 dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x63 dump_stack+0x10/0x12 ubsan_epilogue+0x9/0x45 __ubsan_handle_out_of_bounds.cold+0x44/0x49 ? __alloc_skb+0x92/0x1d0 rtw89_phy_cfo_parse+0x44/0x7f [rtw89_core] rtw89_core_rx+0x261/0x871 [rtw89_core] ? __alloc_skb+0xee/0x1d0 rtw89_pci_napi_poll+0x3fa/0x4ea [rtw89_pci] __napi_poll+0x33/0x1a0 net_rx_action+0x126/0x260 ? __queue_work+0x217/0x4c0 __do_softirq+0xd9/0x315 ? disable_irq_nosync+0x10/0x10 do_softirq.part.0+0x6d/0x90 </IRQ> <TASK> __local_bh_enable_ip+0x62/0x70 rtw89_pci_interrupt_threadfn+0x182/0x1a6 [rtw89_pci] irq_thread_fn+0x28/0x60 irq_thread+0xc8/0x190 ? irq_thread_fn+0x60/0x60 kthread+0x16b/0x190 ? irq_thread_check_affinity+0xe0/0xe0 ? set_kthread_struct+0x50/0x50 ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30 </TASK>
- Severity
- high
- Software
- Kernel
- Fixed in
- 5.18.3
- Published
How likely is exploitation
FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at <0.1% — higher than 7% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.
Read the two together. CVE-2022-49471 scores 7.8 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at <0.1%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.
Affected versions
From: 5.18
Until: 5.18.3
Fixed in: 5.18.3
How to fix this CVE
Update your Linux kernel to version 5.18.3 or later to patch an out-of-bounds memory access vulnerability in the RTW89 wireless driver's CFO (Carrier Frequency Offset) parsing routine. This vulnerability occurs when hardware reports an invalid MAC ID index, causing the kernel to access memory beyond array bounds. Apply the kernel security update immediately to prevent potential system instability and memory corruption.
sudo dnf update kernel kernel-develDefensia detects this vulnerability
How to check if you are affected
- Run 'uname -r' to check your current kernel version and confirm if it is between 5.18.0 and 5.18.2
- Check if RTW89 wireless driver is loaded with 'lsmod | grep rtw89' — if present, your system may be affected
- Search kernel logs for UBSAN out-of-bounds errors: 'sudo dmesg | grep -i "array-index-out-of-bounds"' or 'sudo grep UBSAN /var/log/kern.log'
- After updating, verify the new kernel version with 'uname -r' and confirm it is 5.18.3 or later, then reboot if necessary
FAQ
What is CVE-2022-49471?
CVE-2022-49471 is a kernel memory safety vulnerability in the RTW89 wireless driver where invalid MAC ID values from hardware cause out-of-bounds array access, potentially corrupting kernel memory and causing system crashes.
Is CVE-2022-49471 being actively exploited?
No, CVE-2022-49471 is not listed on the CISA KEV catalog and has no known public exploits. However, it should still be patched promptly due to its high severity rating.
What versions of Kernel are affected by CVE-2022-49471?
Linux kernel versions 5.18.0 through 5.18.2 are affected. The vulnerability is fixed in kernel version 5.18.3 and later.
How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2022-49471?
Run 'uname -r' to check your kernel version. If the output shows a version between 5.18.0 and 5.18.2, and 'lsmod | grep rtw89' shows the driver is loaded, your system is vulnerable.
Does Defensia detect CVE-2022-49471?
Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the Linux kernel is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2022-49471 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.
Related Kernel CVEs
References
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