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CVE Record

CVE-2022-50279: wifi: rtlwifi: Fix global-out-of-bounds bug in _rtl8812ae_phy_set_txpower_limit()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtlwifi: Fix global-out-of-bounds bug in _rtl8812ae_phy_set_txpower_limit() There is a global-out-of-bounds reported by KASAN: BUG: KASAN: global-out-of-bounds in _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte.part.0+0x3d/0x84 [rtl8821ae] Read of size 1 at addr ffffffffa0773c43 by task NetworkManager/411 CPU: 6 PID: 411 Comm: NetworkManager Tainted: G D 6.1.0-rc8+ #144 e15588508517267d37 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), Call Trace: <TASK> ... kasan_report+0xbb/0x1c0 _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte.part.0+0x3d/0x84 [rtl8821ae] rtl8821ae_phy_bb_config.cold+0x346/0x641 [rtl8821ae] rtl8821ae_hw_init+0x1f5e/0x79b0 [rtl8821ae] ... </TASK> The root cause of the problem is that the comparison order of "prate_section" in _rtl8812ae_phy_set_txpower_limit() is wrong. The _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte() is used to compare the first n bytes of the two strings from tail to head, which causes the problem. In the _rtl8812ae_phy_set_txpower_limit(), it was originally intended to meet this requirement by carefully designing the comparison order. For example, "pregulation" and "pbandwidth" are compared in order of length from small to large, first is 3 and last is 4. However, the comparison order of "prate_section" dose not obey such order requirement, therefore when "prate_section" is "HT", when comparing from tail to head, it will lead to access out of bounds in _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte(). As mentioned above, the _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte() has the same function as strcmp(), so just strcmp() is enough. Fix it by removing _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte() and use strcmp() barely. Although it can be fixed by adjusting the comparison order of "prate_section", this may cause the value of "rate_section" to not be from 0 to 5. In addition, commit "21e4b0726dc6" not only moved driver from staging to regular tree, but also added setting txpower limit function during the driver config phase, so the problem was introduced by this commit.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-50279 is a Linux kernel driver memory-safety flaw in the rtlwifi/rtl8821ae wireless code. A string comparison bug can read outside a global buffer during wireless driver initialization. The provided sources show a kernel fix, but do not show active exploitation, impact beyond the out-of-bounds read, or a CVSS score.

Executive priority

Treat as a targeted kernel maintenance issue rather than an emergency. Patch exposed endpoint and appliance fleets during the next appropriate Linux update cycle, escalating if the affected wireless driver is present on sensitive or widely deployed systems.

Technical view

The flaw is in _rtl8812ae_phy_set_txpower_limit(). A helper compared bytes from tail to head, and an unexpected prate_section order caused a global out-of-bounds read when the value was HT. The upstream fix removes _rtl8812ae_eq_n_byte() usage and uses strcmp().

Likely exposure

Exposure is most likely on Linux systems that include and load the affected rtlwifi/rtl8821ae Realtek wireless driver code. Servers without this driver or wireless hardware are less likely to be exposed. Version data is broad, so confirm against vendor kernel packages and applied stable fixes.

Exploitation context

The source bundle reports KASAN detection during NetworkManager-triggered driver initialization. It does not document a public exploit, remote attack path, privilege escalation, or active exploitation. CISA KEV status is false in the supplied data.

Researcher notes

Evidence supports a kernel out-of-bounds read fixed upstream, introduced by commit 21e4b0726dc6. The bundle lacks CVSS, CWE, exploitability analysis, and distro-specific status. Avoid assuming remote exploitability or privilege impact without additional vendor or maintainer evidence.

Mitigation direction

  • Update Linux kernel packages through the distribution or device vendor channel.
  • Confirm the kernel includes one of the referenced stable fixes.
  • Prioritize laptops, workstations, appliances, or images using rtlwifi/rtl8821ae wireless support.
  • If updates are delayed, review vendor guidance for disabling unused affected wireless drivers.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory systems with Linux kernels and Realtek rtlwifi/rtl8821ae driver support.
  • Check running and packaged kernel versions against vendor advisories and fixed stable commits.
  • Review kernel logs for rtl8821ae initialization faults or KASAN reports where available.
  • Validate remediation by confirming the fixed strcmp-based driver code is present.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
9

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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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
8Source 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
LinuxLinux21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502, 21e4b0726dc671c423e2dc9a85364716219c4502unaffected
LinuxLinux3.18, 0, 4.19.276, 5.4.235, 5.10.173, 5.15.99, 6.1.16, 6.2.3, 6.3affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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