CVE-2023-7042

What it actually does

Null pointer dereference in ath10k_wmi_tlv_op_pull_mgmt_tx_compl_ev() within the Linux kernel ath10k wireless driver causes a kernel panic or denial of service when processing certain management frame completion events.

Why it matters to the business

Affected Linux systems using ath10k WiFi hardware may experience unexpected crashes and reboots, leading to service interruptions and reduced availability on servers, workstations, and embedded devices; the large number of affected Debian and Ubuntu packages increases exposure across cloud, enterprise, and IoT environments.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with local access on a system using the vulnerable ath10k driver triggers the flaw by causing specific wireless management transmit completion events to be processed, dereferencing a null pointer and crashing the kernel.

How to fix it

Upgrade to fixed kernel versions such as linux 5.10.84-1 on Debian 11, 5.15.15-1 on Debian 12/13, or the corresponding Ubuntu fixed packages including linux-aws-5.15 5.15.0-1014.18~20.04.1, linux 5.15.0-17.17 on Ubuntu 22.04, and linux-aws-6.5 6.5.0-1008.8~22.04.1; disable the ath10k driver if hardware is not required.

How to confirm the fix worked

Verify the running kernel version matches or exceeds the listed fixed packages for the distribution; attempt to reproduce management frame events on test hardware and confirm absence of kernel oops or panic referencing wmi-tlv.c.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local user access on a target system with ath10k hardware
2. Trigger or manipulate wireless management frame events that reach ath10k_wmi_tlv_op_pull_mgmt_tx_compl_ev()
3. Cause the null pointer dereference resulting in kernel panic or system hang

How to detect it

Review kernel logs and crash dumps for null pointer dereference or oops messages referencing ath10k_wmi_tlv_op_pull_mgmt_tx_compl_ev or wmi-tlv.c; correlate with wireless interface activity on affected hardware.

• ath10k_wmi_tlv_op_pull_mgmt_tx_compl_ev
• wmi-tlv.c
• ath10k null pointer dereference

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel upgrades on all systems exposing ath10k wireless interfaces within the next patching cycle
• Inventory hosts using affected linux packages on Debian 11/12/13 and Ubuntu 20.04/22.04 LTS variants
• Monitor for kernel crash reports and schedule staged rollouts of fixed kernels