CVE-2022-21212 is a vulnerability identified in certain Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi products that arises from improper input validation. This flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker, located in adjacent proximity to the targeted device, to trigger a denial of service (DoS) condition. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-20, which relates to improper input validation, indicating that the affected software does not correctly handle unexpected or malformed input data. The attack vector is adjacent network access, meaning the attacker must be within wireless range of the vulnerable device but does not require any authentication or user interaction to exploit the flaw. The impact of exploitation is a complete denial of service, which affects the availability of the wireless connectivity provided by the Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi products. The CVSS v3.1 base score for this vulnerability is 6.5, categorized as medium severity. The vector string (AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) indicates that the attack requires adjacent network access (AV:A), has low attack complexity (AC:L), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts availability only (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild reported, and no patches are explicitly linked in the provided information, though affected versions are referenced elsewhere. The vulnerability was reserved in late 2021 and published in August 2022. Given the nature of the vulnerability, it primarily targets the wireless network interface drivers or management software of Intel wireless adapters, potentially causing the affected devices to lose network connectivity or crash, thereby disrupting normal operations dependent on wireless communications.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the availability of wireless network connectivity on devices using the affected Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi products. Since many enterprises, public institutions, and critical infrastructure rely heavily on wireless networks for daily operations, a successful DoS attack could disrupt business continuity, impede communication, and affect productivity. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, transportation, and government, where wireless connectivity is integral, such disruptions could have cascading operational impacts. Moreover, environments with dense wireless device deployments, such as office buildings, universities, and public venues, are particularly susceptible to adjacent attackers exploiting this vulnerability. Although the attack requires physical proximity, the ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the threat surface. The lack of confidentiality and integrity impact limits the risk to data breaches, but the availability impact alone can be significant, especially in scenarios requiring continuous network access. Additionally, the absence of known exploits in the wild suggests limited active exploitation currently, but the medium severity rating and ease of attack vector warrant proactive mitigation to prevent potential future abuse.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should first identify all devices using Intel PROSet/Wireless WiFi products and verify their firmware and driver versions against Intel's advisories and updates. Applying the latest patches or driver updates provided by Intel is the primary and most effective mitigation step. In environments where immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should implement network segmentation and wireless access controls to limit exposure. Physical security measures to restrict unauthorized individuals from gaining proximity to critical wireless devices can reduce the risk of exploitation. Additionally, monitoring wireless network behavior for unusual disconnections or disruptions can help detect potential exploitation attempts. Organizations should also consider deploying intrusion detection systems (IDS) or wireless intrusion prevention systems (WIPS) capable of identifying anomalous wireless activity indicative of DoS attacks. Educating IT staff about this vulnerability and ensuring incident response plans include scenarios involving wireless network disruptions will improve preparedness. Finally, maintaining an inventory of wireless devices and their configurations will facilitate rapid response and remediation.