CVE-2024-57992 is a vulnerability identified in the Linux kernel specifically affecting the wilc1000 wireless driver used for Wi-Fi connectivity over SDIO and SPI interfaces. The flaw arises from improper handling of the wiphy (wireless physical device) unregistration process in error paths during device probe operations. A recent kernel change decoupled wiphy allocation from its registration, but the wilc_netdev_cleanup function was not updated accordingly. This oversight can cause the driver to attempt to unregister a wiphy device that was never registered, leading to a kernel panic due to an invalid memory access (kernel paging request at an unmapped virtual address). The vulnerability is reproducible by misconfiguring the wilc device, such as incorrect wiring on the SPI bus, causing the device to be unresponsive during initialization. The kernel panic manifests as an 'Oops' error on ARM architectures, with the crash trace pointing to the wiphy_unregister function within the cfg80211 subsystem. The impact is a denial of service (DoS) condition where the affected system crashes and requires a reboot. The fix involves moving the wiphy_unregister and wiphy_free calls out of wilc_netdev_cleanup and adjusting error handling paths to ensure unregistration is only called if the wiphy was successfully registered. This vulnerability affects Linux kernel versions containing the wilc1000 driver with the specified commit hashes and is relevant to embedded systems and devices using Atmel SAMA5 or similar ARM platforms with this Wi-Fi chipset. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2024-57992 is a potential denial of service on devices running vulnerable Linux kernels with the wilc1000 driver, particularly embedded systems or IoT devices using Atmel SAMA5 or similar ARM-based hardware. Such devices may be found in industrial control systems, telecommunications infrastructure, or specialized networking equipment. A kernel panic triggered by this vulnerability could disrupt critical services, cause operational downtime, and require manual intervention to restore functionality. While the vulnerability does not directly expose confidentiality or integrity risks, the availability impact can be significant in environments relying on continuous wireless connectivity. Organizations deploying Linux-based embedded devices in manufacturing, transportation, or smart city applications across Europe should be aware of this issue. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of triggering the kernel panic through misconfiguration or hardware faults means accidental or malicious disruption is plausible. This could affect service providers, critical infrastructure operators, and enterprises using custom Linux builds with the affected driver. The impact is more pronounced in sectors where embedded Linux devices are integral to operational technology (OT) networks.

To mitigate CVE-2024-57992, European organizations should: 1) Identify and inventory all devices running Linux kernels with the wilc1000 driver, focusing on embedded and ARM-based systems. 2) Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that address this vulnerability, ensuring the fix that moves wiphy_unregister calls out of wilc_netdev_cleanup is included. 3) For devices where kernel updates are not immediately feasible, implement hardware-level checks to ensure correct wiring and stable SPI communication to prevent triggering the error path. 4) Monitor system logs for kernel panics or Oops messages related to wiphy_unregister or wilc1000 modules as early indicators of exploitation or misconfiguration. 5) Employ robust configuration management and testing procedures for embedded devices to detect and correct wiring or initialization issues before deployment. 6) Collaborate with device vendors to obtain updated firmware or kernel versions that incorporate the fix. 7) Consider network segmentation for embedded devices to limit the impact of potential DoS conditions on broader enterprise networks. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on embedded device management, hardware validation, and proactive monitoring specific to the affected driver and platform.