CVE-2022-42770 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the WLAN driver of several Unisoc (Shanghai) Technologies Co., Ltd. chipsets, including SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, T610, T310, T606, T760, T618, T612, T616, T770, T820, and S8019. These chipsets are commonly integrated into Android-based devices running Android 10, 11, and 12. The vulnerability stems from a race condition (CWE-362) in the WLAN driver, which is a concurrency issue where multiple threads or processes improperly synchronize access to shared resources. This improper synchronization can lead to unpredictable behavior, specifically causing a local denial of service (DoS) in WLAN services. The race condition allows an attacker with low privileges and local access to trigger a state where the WLAN driver becomes unresponsive or crashes, disrupting wireless network connectivity. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.7 (medium severity), with the vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, indicating that exploitation requires local access, high attack complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and results in impact solely on availability without affecting confidentiality or integrity. There are no known exploits in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in October 2022 and published in December 2022. Given the affected chipsets are widely used in budget and mid-range Android smartphones, the vulnerability could impact a significant number of devices, especially in markets where Unisoc chipsets have strong penetration. The issue is limited to local denial of service and does not allow remote code execution or data compromise, but it can degrade user experience and disrupt critical wireless communications on affected devices.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2022-42770 is the potential disruption of wireless network connectivity on devices using affected Unisoc chipsets. This could affect employees using vulnerable Android devices for corporate communications, remote access, or mobile applications relying on WLAN connectivity. In sectors where continuous connectivity is critical—such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and public services—intermittent or sustained WLAN outages could degrade operational efficiency and productivity. Although the vulnerability does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, denial of service in WLAN services could hinder access to cloud resources, VPNs, or internal networks, indirectly affecting business continuity. The medium severity and local attack vector mean that exploitation requires physical or local network access to the device, limiting remote exploitation risks but increasing concerns in environments with shared or public access. Additionally, organizations relying on Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies may face challenges in managing and mitigating this vulnerability across diverse device inventories. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the absence of patches necessitates proactive risk management to prevent potential future exploitation or service disruptions.

1. Inventory and Identification: Organizations should identify devices using Unisoc chipsets listed in the vulnerability (SC9863A, SC9832E, SC7731E, T610, T310, T606, T760, T618, T612, T616, T770, T820, S8019) running Android 10, 11, or 12. Mobile device management (MDM) solutions can assist in this process. 2. Restrict Local Access: Since exploitation requires local access with low privileges, enforce strict physical security controls and limit access to devices, especially in shared or public environments. 3. Network Segmentation: Isolate vulnerable devices on segmented WLAN networks with limited access to critical corporate resources to reduce potential impact of denial of service. 4. Monitor WLAN Stability: Implement monitoring tools to detect unusual WLAN service disruptions or crashes on mobile devices, enabling rapid response to potential exploitation attempts. 5. Vendor Engagement: Engage with device manufacturers and Unisoc for firmware or driver updates addressing this vulnerability. Apply patches promptly once available. 6. User Awareness: Educate users about the risks of local attacks and encourage cautious behavior regarding device sharing and physical security. 7. Alternative Devices: Where critical operations depend on stable WLAN connectivity, consider using devices with chipsets not affected by this vulnerability until patches are available. 8. Disable WLAN Services: In high-security environments where WLAN denial of service is unacceptable, consider disabling WLAN on vulnerable devices as a temporary mitigation.