Vulnerability in mac80211_hwsim package: Uninitialized ieee80211_tx_info at hw_scan_work
Summary
GSD-2022-1000881: mac80211_hwsim: initialize ieee80211_tx_info at hw_scan_work. Affects Kernel versions < 964f155c382f80242a0ba15034a2e792788f5c1c. No fix is published. How to fix ↓
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Background
The mac80211_hwsim package is a software simulator for wireless LAN devices in the Linux kernel. It provides a virtual environment for testing and developing wireless LAN drivers and applications. The package emulates the behavior of wireless hardware, allowing developers to experiment with different scenarios and configurations. However, a vulnerability has been discovered in the package that involves the uninitialized ieee80211_tx_info at hw_scan_work.
Vulnerability Detail
The vulnerability in the mac80211_hwsim package arises from the failure to properly initialize the ieee80211_tx_info structure at hw_scan_work. This can lead to potential security risks, although the exact impact and attack plausibility have not been proven. The vulnerability has been assigned the ID GSD-2022-1000881. It is fixed in Linux Kernel version v5.4.183 by commit 964f155c382f80242a0ba15034a2e792788f5c1c.
How To Fix
No fixed version is published for this vulnerability.
To fix this vulnerability, it is recommended to update the Linux Kernel to version v5.4.183 or later. This can be done by pulling the latest updates from the official Linux Kernel repository. Alternatively, users can apply the specific commit 964f155c382f80242a0ba15034a2e792788f5c1c to their existing kernel version.
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Workaround
There is no specific workaround mentioned for this vulnerability.
Conclusion
The mac80211_hwsim package in the Linux kernel is vulnerable to an uninitialized ieee80211_tx_info structure at hw_scan_work. It is recommended to update the kernel to version v5.4.183 or later to fix this vulnerability. For further support on vulnerability remediation, please contact DevNack.com.
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FAQ
mac80211_hwsim is a software simulator for wireless LAN devices in the Linux kernel. It provides a virtual environment for testing and developing wireless LAN drivers and applications.
ieee80211_tx_info is a structure in the Linux kernel that contains information about a transmitted frame, such as the destination address, transmission power, and encryption settings.
hw_scan_work is a function in the mac80211_hwsim package that handles hardware scanning for available wireless networks.
The uninitialized ieee80211_tx_info structure at hw_scan_work can potentially be exploited by attackers to manipulate transmitted frames, leading to unauthorized access, information disclosure, or denial of service.
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