CVE-2022-42754 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the npu (Neural Processing Unit) driver of several Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, including SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, and multiple T-series models (T610, T310, T606, T760, T618, T612, T616, T770, T820, S8000). The vulnerability is classified as a Use After Free (CWE-416) memory corruption issue. Specifically, the npu driver improperly handles memory management, leading to a use-after-free condition where the driver accesses memory after it has been freed. This can cause memory corruption within the kernel space. The impact of this flaw is a local denial of service (DoS), where an attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) can cause the kernel to crash or become unstable, resulting in system unavailability. The vulnerability affects devices running Android versions 10, 11, and 12 that incorporate these Unisoc chipsets. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.5, indicating a medium severity level, with an attack vector of local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N, I:N), but high impact on availability (A:H). There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked or published at the time of this analysis. The vulnerability was reserved on 2022-10-11 and published on 2022-12-06. Given that the flaw resides in a kernel driver component, exploitation requires local access to the device, but no user interaction is needed once local access is obtained. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but can cause system crashes or reboots, disrupting device availability.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-42754 is the potential for local denial of service on devices using affected Unisoc chipsets running Android 10 to 12. This can disrupt mobile device availability, affecting business continuity, especially for organizations relying on mobile endpoints for critical operations, communications, or fieldwork. The vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or through compromised applications that gain local access, leading to kernel crashes and device reboots. While it does not allow data theft or privilege escalation directly, repeated or targeted DoS attacks could degrade workforce productivity and increase support costs. In sectors such as telecommunications, logistics, or public services where Unisoc-based devices may be deployed, this could impact operational reliability. Additionally, the lack of known exploits and patches suggests organizations may face a window of exposure until vendor updates are available. The vulnerability’s local attack vector limits remote exploitation risks but does not eliminate threats from insider attackers or malware that can execute code locally. Overall, the impact is moderate but relevant for organizations with significant deployments of affected devices.

1. Inventory and identify devices using the affected Unisoc chipsets (SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, and listed T-series models) running Android 10-12 within the organization. 2. Monitor vendor communications and Unisoc security advisories for patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and prioritize timely deployment once available. 3. Restrict local access to devices by enforcing strong device lock policies, disabling unnecessary debugging interfaces (e.g., ADB), and limiting physical access to trusted personnel only. 4. Implement endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting suspicious local activity or privilege escalation attempts that could lead to exploitation of kernel vulnerabilities. 5. Educate users on the risks of installing untrusted applications or granting unnecessary permissions that could facilitate local code execution. 6. For critical environments, consider device replacement or segmentation strategies to isolate vulnerable devices until patches are applied. 7. Employ mobile device management (MDM) tools to enforce security policies and monitor device health and stability to quickly detect and respond to abnormal reboots or crashes. 8. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on local privilege escalation and kernel vulnerabilities to proactively identify exploitation attempts.