LiveActive security incident?Get immediate response
CVE Record

CVE-2022-50735: wifi: mt76: do not run mt76u_status_worker if the device is not running

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mt76: do not run mt76u_status_worker if the device is not running Fix the following NULL pointer dereference avoiding to run mt76u_status_worker thread if the device is not running yet. KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] CPU: 0 PID: 98 Comm: kworker/u2:2 Not tainted 5.14.0+ #78 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.12.1-0-ga5cab58e9a3f-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 Workqueue: mt76 mt76u_tx_status_data RIP: 0010:mt76x02_mac_fill_tx_status.isra.0+0x82c/0x9e0 Code: c5 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 80 3c 02 00 0f 85 94 01 00 00 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 4d 8b 34 24 4c 89 f2 48 c1 ea 03 <0f> b6 04 02 84 c0 74 08 3c 03 0f 8e 89 01 00 00 41 8b 16 41 0f b7 RSP: 0018:ffffc900005af988 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: dffffc0000000000 RBX: ffffc900005afae8 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff832fc661 RDI: ffffc900005afc2a RBP: ffffc900005afae0 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: fffff520000b5f3c R10: 0000000000000003 R11: fffff520000b5f3b R12: ffff88810b6132d8 R13: 000000000000ffff R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffc900005afc28 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88811aa00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007fa0eda6a000 CR3: 0000000118f17000 CR4: 0000000000750ef0 PKRU: 55555554 Call Trace: mt76x02_send_tx_status+0x1d2/0xeb0 mt76x02_tx_status_data+0x8e/0xd0 mt76u_tx_status_data+0xe1/0x240 process_one_work+0x92b/0x1460 worker_thread+0x95/0xe00 kthread+0x3a1/0x480 ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 Modules linked in: --[ end trace 8df5d20fc5040f65 ]-- RIP: 0010:mt76x02_mac_fill_tx_status.isra.0+0x82c/0x9e0 Code: c5 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 80 3c 02 00 0f 85 94 01 00 00 48 b8 00 00 00 00 00 fc ff df 4d 8b 34 24 4c 89 f2 48 c1 ea 03 <0f> b6 04 02 84 c0 74 08 3c 03 0f 8e 89 01 00 00 41 8b 16 41 0f b7 RSP: 0018:ffffc900005af988 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: dffffc0000000000 RBX: ffffc900005afae8 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: ffffffff832fc661 RDI: ffffc900005afc2a RBP: ffffc900005afae0 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: fffff520000b5f3c R10: 0000000000000003 R11: fffff520000b5f3b R12: ffff88810b6132d8 R13: 000000000000ffff R14: 0000000000000000 R15: ffffc900005afc28 FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff88811aa00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00007fa0eda6a000 CR3: 0000000118f17000 CR4: 0000000000750ef0 PKRU: 55555554 Moreover move stat_work schedule out of the for loop.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
Discuss exposureBack to CVEs
Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2022-50735 is a Linux kernel bug in the mt76 USB Wi-Fi driver. Under an initialization/running-state race, a background worker can hit a NULL pointer dereference and crash the kernel. This is primarily an availability concern for Linux systems using affected MediaTek mt76 USB Wi-Fi support.

Executive priority

Handle as a targeted availability fix, not a broad emergency. Prioritize laptops, embedded systems, or appliances using mt76 USB Wi-Fi. Routine kernel patching should address most exposure unless the affected driver is business-critical or crash symptoms are already observed.

Technical view

The Linux kernel fix prevents mt76u_status_worker from running when the mt76 device is not yet running. The reported failure is a KASAN NULL pointer dereference in mt76x02_mac_fill_tx_status via mt76u_tx_status_data workqueue processing. Kernel stable commits are referenced as the remediation path.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems with affected kernel versions and mt76 USB Wi-Fi driver usage. Servers without this Wi-Fi hardware or module are less likely to be affected. The source bundle lists Linux kernel impact around 5.11 and fixes in stable lines including 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, and 6.2.

Exploitation context

No CISA KEV listing or cited source indicates active exploitation. The public description shows a kernel NULL pointer dereference discovered through KASAN-style debugging. The sources do not describe a remote attack path, required privileges, or a weaponized exploit.

Researcher notes

Evidence is limited to the CVE record and Linux stable commits. No CVSS, CWE, exploitability assessment, or detailed trigger conditions are provided. Treat affected-version mapping through downstream distributions carefully, because vendors may backport the fix without changing major kernel versions.

Mitigation direction

  • Update affected Linux kernels using vendor or distribution guidance.
  • Prioritize systems using MediaTek mt76 USB Wi-Fi devices or modules.
  • Confirm deployed kernels include one of the referenced stable fixes.
  • If patch timing is unclear, request guidance from the OS vendor.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions across endpoints and appliances.
  • Check whether mt76 USB Wi-Fi drivers or hardware are present.
  • Compare kernel builds against vendor advisories and fixed stable commits.
  • Review crash logs for mt76u_tx_status_data or mt76x02_mac_fill_tx_status traces.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
6

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

These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.

ATT&CK lookup starting points

Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.

cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2022-50735 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
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
0Timeline events
0ADP providers
5Source links

CVSS and timeline data

No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux9daf27e62852d68c6ffc2c21090238ea51bb0a7f, 9daf27e62852d68c6ffc2c21090238ea51bb0a7f, 9daf27e62852d68c6ffc2c21090238ea51bb0a7f, 9daf27e62852d68c6ffc2c21090238ea51bb0a7funaffected
LinuxLinux5.11, 0, 5.15.86, 6.0.16, 6.1.2, 6.2affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.