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CVE Record

CVE-2022-49539: rtw89: ser: fix CAM leaks occurring in L2 reset

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rtw89: ser: fix CAM leaks occurring in L2 reset The CAM, meaning address CAM and bssid CAM here, will get leaks during SER (system error recover) L2 reset process and ieee80211_restart_hw() which is called by L2 reset process eventually. The normal flow would be like -> add interface (acquire 1) -> enter ips (release 1) -> leave ips (acquire 1) -> connection (occupy 1) <(A) 1 leak after L2 reset if non-sec connection> The ieee80211_restart_hw() flow (under connection) -> ieee80211 reconfig -> add interface (acquire 1) -> leave ips (acquire 1) -> connection (occupy (A) + 2) <(B) 1 more leak> Originally, CAM is released before HW restart only if connection is under security. Now, release CAM whatever connection it is to fix leak in (A). OTOH, check if CAM is already valid to avoid acquiring multiple times to fix (B). Besides, if AP mode, release address CAM of all stations before HW restart.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-49539 is a Linux kernel driver bug in Realtek rtw89 Wi-Fi handling. During certain hardware recovery flows, the driver may leak internal CAM resources. Public sources do not provide a CVSS score or report active exploitation. Business urgency is mainly for systems using affected Linux kernels with rtw89 wireless hardware.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted Linux Wi-Fi driver maintenance issue, not an enterprise-wide emergency. Patch affected rtw89 systems through normal kernel update processes, with higher priority for devices relying on Wi-Fi availability or operating in AP mode.

Technical view

The resolved issue is in Linux kernel rtw89 SER L2 reset handling. Address CAM and BSSID CAM entries could be leaked during ieee80211_restart_hw(), especially across non-secure connections and repeated interface recovery. The fix releases CAM consistently before restart and avoids duplicate acquisition when CAM is already valid; AP mode station address CAM is also released.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems using the rtw89 wireless driver on affected kernel versions listed in the CVE data, including 5.16, 5.18.3, and 5.19 entries. Systems without Realtek rtw89 Wi-Fi hardware or the driver loaded are likely not exposed based on available sources.

Exploitation context

No cited source states active exploitation, public exploit availability, or KEV listing. The issue is described as a resource leak during driver recovery, suggesting reliability or denial-of-service risk rather than direct data compromise. Evidence is incomplete because no CVSS, CWE, or exploitability assessment is provided.

Researcher notes

The public record identifies upstream stable commits but lacks CVSS and detailed impact analysis. The bug concerns CAM lifecycle accounting during L2 recovery and ieee80211 restart. Validate exposure through driver presence and vendor kernel changelogs rather than version strings alone, because downstream kernels may backport fixes.

Mitigation direction

  • Check your Linux distribution for kernel updates containing the referenced rtw89 fixes.
  • Prioritize laptops, workstations, embedded devices, or AP-like systems using Realtek rtw89 Wi-Fi.
  • If no update is available, follow vendor guidance for rtw89 driver risk reduction.
  • Avoid assuming fixed status from upstream alone; confirm your distro backport status.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems running Linux kernels in the affected ranges.
  • Check whether the rtw89 driver is present or loaded.
  • Confirm installed kernel includes fixes f6aff772c997 or b169f877f001, or vendor backports.
  • Review wireless stability logs for repeated SER or hardware restart events.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
4

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2022-49539 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
3Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxe3ec7017f6a20d12ddd9fe23d345ebb7b8c104dd, e3ec7017f6a20d12ddd9fe23d345ebb7b8c104ddunaffected
LinuxLinux5.16, 0, 5.18.3, 5.19affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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