CVE-2025-22032 is a vulnerability in the Linux kernel specifically affecting the mt76 wireless driver, which supports MediaTek Wi-Fi chipsets, notably the mt7921 device. The flaw arises from a null pointer dereference in the function mt792x_rx_get_wcid. This function is responsible for retrieving the wireless client identifier (WCID) associated with received packets. The root cause is improper initialization of the deflink structure, which is supposed to be linked to the station (sta) context. When this linkage is missing or incorrect, the kernel attempts to dereference a null pointer, leading to a kernel panic and system crash. The vulnerability manifests as a supervisor read access fault in kernel mode, causing a denial of service (DoS) condition due to the kernel panic. The issue affects Linux kernel versions prior to the patch that correctly initializes the deflink structure. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the presence of the vulnerable wireless driver and likely some network activity triggering the affected code path. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. The vulnerability is technical in nature and relates to kernel stability and robustness in handling wireless packet processing for MediaTek mt7921 devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily of denial of service on Linux systems using affected MediaTek mt7921 wireless chipsets. Systems experiencing kernel panics can lead to unexpected reboots or crashes, disrupting critical services, especially in environments relying on Linux servers or embedded devices with these Wi-Fi modules. This can affect enterprise networks, industrial control systems, or IoT devices that use Linux with mt76 drivers. While the vulnerability does not directly lead to privilege escalation or data leakage, the resulting instability can cause operational downtime, impacting business continuity and service availability. Organizations with large Linux deployments or those using MediaTek Wi-Fi hardware in networking equipment should be particularly vigilant. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the potential for crafted network traffic to trigger the panic means attackers could cause targeted DoS attacks. This is especially relevant for sectors with high availability requirements such as telecommunications, finance, and critical infrastructure in Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Apply the official Linux kernel patches that fix the deflink initialization in the mt792x_rx_get_wcid function as soon as they become available. Monitor Linux kernel mailing lists and vendor advisories for updated kernel versions. 2) Identify and inventory all systems using MediaTek mt7921 wireless chipsets and the mt76 driver, including embedded devices and network appliances. 3) Where patching is not immediately feasible, consider disabling the affected wireless interfaces or replacing the hardware with non-affected chipsets to prevent exploitation. 4) Implement network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure of vulnerable devices to untrusted networks, reducing the likelihood of malicious packets triggering the vulnerability. 5) Monitor system logs for kernel panic events related to mt76 or mt7921 drivers to detect potential exploitation attempts. 6) Engage with hardware and Linux distribution vendors to ensure timely updates and support for affected devices. 7) For critical systems, consider deploying kernel live patching solutions that can apply fixes without requiring full system reboots, minimizing downtime.