CVE-2022-49235 ath9k_htc: fix uninit value bugs
Uninitialized memory in the ath9k_htc driver allows local attackers to leak kernel memory contents via USB information leaks.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2022-49235?
CVE-2022-49235 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 26 Feb 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ath9k_htc: fix uninit value bugs
Syzbot reported 2 KMSAN bugs in ath9k. All of them are caused by missing field initialization.
In htc_connect_service() svc_meta_len and pad are not initialized. Based on code it looks like in current skb there is no service data, so simply initialize svc_meta_len to 0.
htc_issue_send() does not initialize htc_frame_hdr::control array. Based on firmware code, it will initialize it by itself, so simply zero whole array to make KMSAN happy
Fail logs:
BUG: KMSAN: kernel-usb-infoleak in usb_submit_urb+0x6c1/0x2aa0 drivers/usb/core/urb.c:430 usb_submit_urb+0x6c1/0x2aa0 drivers/usb/core/urb.c:430 hif_usb_send_regout drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c:127 [inline] hif_usb_send+0x5f0/0x16f0 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c:479 htc_issue_send drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:34 [inline] htc_connect_service+0x143e/0x1960 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:275 ...
Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slab.h:524 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3251 [inline] __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0xe0c/0x1510 mm/slub.c:4974 kmalloc_reserve net/core/skbuff.c:354 [inline] __alloc_skb+0x545/0xf90 net/core/skbuff.c:426 alloc_skb include/linux/skbuff.h:1126 [inline] htc_connect_service+0x1029/0x1960 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:258 ...
Bytes 4-7 of 18 are uninitialized Memory access of size 18 starts at ffff888027377e00
BUG: KMSAN: kernel-usb-infoleak in usb_submit_urb+0x6c1/0x2aa0 drivers/usb/core/urb.c:430 usb_submit_urb+0x6c1/0x2aa0 drivers/usb/core/urb.c:430 hif_usb_send_regout drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c:127 [inline] hif_usb_send+0x5f0/0x16f0 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c:479 htc_issue_send drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:34 [inline] htc_connect_service+0x143e/0x1960 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:275 ...
Uninit was created at: slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slab.h:524 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:3251 [inline] __kmalloc_node_track_caller+0xe0c/0x1510 mm/slub.c:4974 kmalloc_reserve net/core/skbuff.c:354 [inline] __alloc_skb+0x545/0xf90 net/core/skbuff.c:426 alloc_skb include/linux/skbuff.h:1126 [inline] htc_connect_service+0x1029/0x1960 drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c:258 ...
Bytes 16-17 of 18 are uninitialized Memory access of size 18 starts at ffff888027377e00
Weakness: CWE-908
Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49235?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2022-49235?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2022-49235 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49235 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49235, GHSA-3w7q-wchx-rf5p, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49235.