CVE-2022-42760 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the WLAN driver of multiple Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, including SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, T610, T310, T606, T760, T618, T612, T616, T770, T820, and S8018. These chipsets are commonly integrated into Android devices running versions 10, 11, and 12. The vulnerability stems from a classic buffer overflow (CWE-120) caused by a missing bounds check in the WLAN driver code. This flaw allows an attacker with local privileges and low complexity of attack to trigger a buffer overflow condition, which can lead to a denial of service (DoS) specifically targeting WLAN services on the affected device. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level, with the vector indicating local attack vector (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). No known exploits have been reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability is limited to local attackers, meaning remote exploitation is not feasible without prior access to the device. The affected WLAN driver is critical for wireless connectivity, so exploitation results in service disruption rather than data compromise or device takeover. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for devices using Unisoc chipsets, which are prevalent in budget and mid-range smartphones, especially in emerging markets and some European regions where these devices have market penetration. The lack of a patch and the medium severity score suggest that while the risk is not critical, it should be addressed promptly to avoid denial of service conditions that could impact user experience and device reliability.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-42760 is the potential disruption of wireless network connectivity on devices using affected Unisoc chipsets. This can lead to local denial of service conditions, causing devices to lose WLAN functionality temporarily or require rebooting. In enterprise environments where mobile devices are used for critical communications, such disruptions could degrade productivity and operational efficiency. Although the vulnerability does not compromise confidentiality or integrity, the availability impact could affect field workers, remote employees, or IoT devices relying on these chipsets for wireless connectivity. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies may see increased support tickets or operational challenges if employees’ devices are affected. The vulnerability’s local attack vector means that exploitation requires physical or local access, limiting remote attack risks but increasing insider threat concerns. Given the absence of known exploits, the immediate threat level is moderate; however, the potential for denial of service in WLAN services could be leveraged in targeted attacks or to facilitate further local exploitation in complex attack scenarios.

1. Monitor vendor advisories from Unisoc and device manufacturers for official patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly. 2. Implement strict device access controls to limit local access to trusted users only, reducing the risk of local exploitation. 3. For enterprise-managed devices, enforce mobile device management (MDM) policies that restrict installation of untrusted applications and monitor device health for abnormal WLAN behavior. 4. Educate users about the risks of local attacks and encourage reporting of unusual device connectivity issues. 5. Where feasible, consider deploying network segmentation and wireless intrusion detection systems (WIDS) to detect anomalous WLAN disruptions that could indicate exploitation attempts. 6. For critical environments, evaluate the possibility of temporarily disabling WLAN interfaces on devices with affected chipsets until patches are available. 7. Maintain an inventory of devices using Unisoc chipsets to prioritize remediation efforts and assess exposure. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on local access control, device management, and proactive monitoring tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.