CVE-2024-46760

wifi: rtw88: usb: schedule rx work after everything is set up

Published Sep 18, 2024 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: rtw88: usb: schedule rx work after everything is set up

Right now it's possible to hit NULL pointer dereference in
rtw_rx_fill_rx_status on hw object and/or its fields because
initialization routine can start getting USB replies before
rtw_dev is fully setup.

The stack trace looks like this:

rtw_rx_fill_rx_status
rtw8821c_query_rx_desc
rtw_usb_rx_handler
...
queue_work
rtw_usb_read_port_complete
...
usb_submit_urb
rtw_usb_rx_resubmit
rtw_usb_init_rx
rtw_usb_probe

So while we do the async stuff rtw_usb_probe continues and calls
rtw_register_hw, which does all kinds of initialization (e.g.
via ieee80211_register_hw) that rtw_rx_fill_rx_status relies on.

Fix this by moving the first usb_submit_urb after everything
is set up.

For me, this bug manifested as:
[ 8.893177] rtw_8821cu 1-1:1.2: band wrong, packet dropped
[ 8.910904] rtw_8821cu 1-1:1.2: hw->conf.chandef.chan NULL in rtw_rx_fill_rx_status
because I'm using Larry's backport of rtw88 driver with the NULL
checks in rtw_rx_fill_rx_status.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7154-1 Linux kernel vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7155-1 Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7156-1 Linux kernel (GKE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7154-2 Linux kernel (HWE) vulnerabilities
Ubuntu USN Ubuntu USN USN-7196-1 Linux kernel (Azure) vulnerabilities
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics epss

{'score': 0.00031}

epss

{'score': 0.00033}

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Weaknesses CWE-476
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtw88: usb: schedule rx work after everything is set up Right now it's possible to hit NULL pointer dereference in rtw_rx_fill_rx_status on hw object and/or its fields because initialization routine can start getting USB replies before rtw_dev is fully setup. The stack trace looks like this: rtw_rx_fill_rx_status rtw8821c_query_rx_desc rtw_usb_rx_handler ... queue_work rtw_usb_read_port_complete ... usb_submit_urb rtw_usb_rx_resubmit rtw_usb_init_rx rtw_usb_probe So while we do the async stuff rtw_usb_probe continues and calls rtw_register_hw, which does all kinds of initialization (e.g. via ieee80211_register_hw) that rtw_rx_fill_rx_status relies on. Fix this by moving the first usb_submit_urb after everything is set up. For me, this bug manifested as: [ 8.893177] rtw_8821cu 1-1:1.2: band wrong, packet dropped [ 8.910904] rtw_8821cu 1-1:1.2: hw->conf.chandef.chan NULL in rtw_rx_fill_rx_status because I'm using Larry's backport of rtw88 driver with the NULL checks in rtw_rx_fill_rx_status.
Title wifi: rtw88: usb: schedule rx work after everything is set up
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 8:35 PM
Reserved
Sep 11, 2024, 3:12 PM
Status
Analyzed
Published
Sep 18, 2024, 8:15 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 7:55 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Sep 18, 2024, 12:00 AM