CVE-2023-54025

What it actually does

The rsi WiFi driver invokes rsi_config_wowlan() from the shutdown hook without verifying that hw->wiphy or wiphy->wowlan_config are non-NULL, violating the function's precondition and producing a spurious warning (and potential follow-on effects) when WoWlan was never configured.

Why it matters to the business

Systems using the rsi driver experience unnecessary kernel warnings or minor shutdown instability; low prevalence and no known exploitation keep operational risk minimal, though organizations running affected kernel packages must still apply the update to maintain a clean security baseline.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access or the ability to initiate a controlled shutdown on a system using the rsi driver could trigger the NULL check path, but the condition only produces a warning and does not grant code execution or privilege escalation.

How to fix it

Upgrade to a fixed kernel containing commit b2aeb97fd470206e67f7b3b4a3e68212a13f747b or later; for packaged distributions apply argo-rollouts 1.8.3-r1 (or equivalent) and restart affected systems. No configuration changes are required.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the presence of the null-check guards around wowlan_config and wiphy in rsi_shutdown() in the running kernel source or binary; verify that shutdown with WoWlan disabled no longer emits the warning.

Typical attack path

1. Identify a target running an unpatched rsi-enabled kernel
2. Obtain local execution or the ability to trigger orderly shutdown
3. Ensure WoWlan was never configured so wowlan_config remains NULL
4. Initiate shutdown to reach the vulnerable hook

How to detect it

Search kernel logs for the rsi_config_wowlan NULL warning emitted during shutdown; correlate with dmesg or journalctl entries around shutdown events on systems known to use the rsi driver.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize patching kernel packages on any hosts that include the rsi driver
• Include the fixed versions (b2aeb97fd470206e67f7b3b4a3e68212a13f747b, 1.8.3-r1) in standard update pipelines
• Monitor for the specific warning string during shutdown as a temporary detection measure until patches are deployed