CVE-2021-47028 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel, specifically related to the mt76 wireless driver for the mt7915 chipset. The issue pertains to improper handling and validation of the txrate reporting mechanism within the driver. The vulnerability arises from inadequate checking of the rate_info data structure, which leads to unexpected or incorrect reporting of transmission rates. The kernel call trace indicates the flaw occurs during the calculation of bitrates and the update of wireless metrics, involving components such as cfg80211, mac80211, and the mt7915e driver. This improper validation could potentially cause erroneous behavior in wireless transmission status reporting, which might be exploited to disrupt normal wireless communication or cause kernel instability. However, there is no indication that this vulnerability allows for privilege escalation or remote code execution. The vulnerability has been resolved by implementing proper checks on the rate_info data to prevent unexpected reporting. The affected versions are specific Linux kernel commits identified by their hashes, and no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The vulnerability was published on February 28, 2024, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2021-47028 primarily concerns systems utilizing Linux kernels with the affected mt76 wireless driver, particularly those using the mt7915 wireless chipset. This includes enterprise environments relying on Linux-based wireless infrastructure or embedded devices with this chipset. Potential impacts include degraded wireless network performance, inaccurate transmission rate reporting, and possible kernel instability or crashes affecting availability. While the vulnerability does not appear to allow direct unauthorized access or data compromise, disruption of wireless communication can impact operational continuity, especially in critical infrastructure sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, and telecommunications. Organizations with extensive Linux deployments in wireless networking roles may experience intermittent connectivity issues or require urgent patching to maintain network reliability. Since no known exploits exist, the immediate risk is moderate, but the presence of a kernel-level flaw warrants timely remediation to prevent future exploitation attempts.

European organizations should prioritize updating their Linux kernel versions to include the patch that fixes CVE-2021-47028. Specifically, they should identify systems running the affected mt76 driver with the mt7915 chipset and apply kernel updates from trusted Linux distributions or backport patches if using long-term support kernels. Network administrators should audit wireless infrastructure to detect usage of the mt7915 chipset and monitor for unusual wireless transmission anomalies or kernel logs indicating related errors. Employing kernel live patching solutions can reduce downtime during remediation. Additionally, organizations should implement strict change management and testing procedures to validate wireless driver updates in their environments. For embedded or IoT devices using this chipset, coordinate with vendors to obtain firmware updates or mitigations. Network segmentation and limiting access to critical wireless infrastructure can reduce the attack surface. Finally, maintain up-to-date intrusion detection systems tuned to detect anomalies in wireless traffic patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts.