# CVE-2022-49298: staging: rtl8712: fix uninit-value in r871xu_drv_init()

> An uninitialized value in the rtl8712 USB driver can lead to information disclosure when a specific device is connected.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2022-49298, GHSA-gv56-7jpr-6c22, UBUNTU-CVE-2022-49298

## What is CVE-2022-49298?

CVE-2022-49298 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:

staging: rtl8712: fix uninit-value in r871xu_drv_init()

When 'tmpU1b' returns from r8712_read8(padapter, EE_9346CR) is 0,
'mac[6]' will not be initialized.

BUG: KMSAN: uninit-value in r871xu_drv_init+0x2d54/0x3070 drivers/staging/rtl8712/usb_intf.c:541
 r871xu_drv_init+0x2d54/0x3070 drivers/staging/rtl8712/usb_intf.c:541
 usb_probe_interface+0xf19/0x1600 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:396
 really_probe+0x653/0x14b0 drivers/base/dd.c:596
 __driver_probe_device+0x3e9/0x530 drivers/base/dd.c:752
 driver_probe_device drivers/base/dd.c:782 [inline]
 __device_attach_driver+0x79f/0x1120 drivers/base/dd.c:899
 bus_for_each_drv+0x2d6/0x3f0 drivers/base/bus.c:427
 __device_attach+0x593/0x8e0 drivers/base/dd.c:970
 device_initial_probe+0x4a/0x60 drivers/base/dd.c:1017
 bus_probe_device+0x17b/0x3e0 drivers/base/bus.c:487
 device_add+0x1fff/0x26e0 drivers/base/core.c:3405
 usb_set_configuration+0x37e9/0x3ed0 drivers/usb/core/message.c:2170
 usb_generic_driver_probe+0x13c/0x300 drivers/usb/core/generic.c:238
 usb_probe_device+0x309/0x570 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:293
 really_probe+0x653/0x14b0 drivers/base/dd.c:596
 __driver_probe_device+0x3e9/0x530 drivers/base/dd.c:752
 driver_probe_device drivers/base/dd.c:782 [inline]
 __device_attach_driver+0x79f/0x1120 drivers/base/dd.c:899
 bus_for_each_drv+0x2d6/0x3f0 drivers/base/bus.c:427
 __device_attach+0x593/0x8e0 drivers/base/dd.c:970
 device_initial_probe+0x4a/0x60 drivers/base/dd.c:1017
 bus_probe_device+0x17b/0x3e0 drivers/base/bus.c:487
 device_add+0x1fff/0x26e0 drivers/base/core.c:3405
 usb_new_device+0x1b8e/0x2950 drivers/usb/core/hub.c:2566
 hub_port_connect drivers/usb/core/hub.c:5358 [inline]
 hub_port_connect_change drivers/usb/core/hub.c:5502 [inline]
 port_event drivers/usb/core/hub.c:5660 [inline]
 hub_event+0x58e3/0x89e0 drivers/usb/core/hub.c:5742
 process_one_work+0xdb6/0x1820 kernel/workqueue.c:2307
 worker_thread+0x10b3/0x21e0 kernel/workqueue.c:2454
 kthread+0x3c7/0x500 kernel/kthread.c:377
 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30

Local variable mac created at:
 r871xu_drv_init+0x1771/0x3070 drivers/staging/rtl8712/usb_intf.c:394
 usb_probe_interface+0xf19/0x1600 drivers/usb/core/driver.c:396

KMSAN: uninit-value in r871xu_drv_init
https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?id=3cd92b1d85428b128503bfa7a250294c9ae00bd8

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2022-49298?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2022-49298?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2022-49298 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49298 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2022-49298 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2022-49298 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2022-49298 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49298/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49298/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-49298
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-49298
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2022-49298

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-49298/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.