CVE-2024-47681

What it actually does

The vulnerability is a NULL pointer dereference in the mt7996_mcu_sta_bfer_he routine when adding a station interface to the mt7996 wireless driver.

Why it matters to the business

Wireless-enabled Linux systems may experience kernel crashes or service interruptions during station configuration, increasing operational downtime and requiring restarts.

How an attack unfolds

An attacker with the ability to add or modify a station interface on affected hardware triggers the dereference in the driver routine, leading to a crash; listed threat actors have been associated with similar Linux kernel issues but this specific flaw shows no confirmed exploitation.

How to fix it

Apply the kernel patch resolving the mt7996_mcu_sta_bfer_he NULL pointer issue; upgrade to corrected driver versions as they become available in distribution updates.

How to confirm the fix worked

Confirm the patched kernel is running and test wireless station addition scenarios to ensure no dereference occurs.

Typical attack path

1. Obtain local or adjacent network access to target system
2. Trigger addition of STA interface via wireless configuration
3. Induce NULL pointer dereference resulting in denial of service

How to detect it

Inspect kernel logs for NULL pointer dereference messages in mt7996 driver paths and correlate with wireless station addition events.

What your security team should do

• Prioritize kernel updates on systems using mt7996 hardware
• Monitor for wireless configuration events that could trigger the flaw
• Review wireless driver logs for unexpected crashes