CVE-2022-42721Public exploit

Kernel soft lockup via BSS list corruption

Published Oct 13, 2022 · Updated May 15, 2025

Infinite loop in the cfg80211 BSS handler in Linux kernel 5.1 through 5.19.x before 5.19.16 allows physically proximate attackers to hang systems. When a non-transmitted BSS shares an SSID and BSSID with an entry from another access point, cfg80211_add_nontrans_list searches only the current transmitted BSS and reinserts the foreign entry, corrupting the linked list. Reachability requires reception of crafted beacon frames during a wireless scan; exploitation locks a CPU in an endless loop and interrupts service.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Infinite loop in the cfg80211 BSS handler in Linux kernel 5.1 through 5.19.x before 5.19.16 allows physically proximate attackers to hang systems. When a non-transmitted BSS shares an SSID and BSSID with an entry from another access point, cfg80211_add_nontrans_list searches only the current transmitted BSS and reinserts the foreign entry, corrupting the linked list. Reachability requires reception of crafted beacon frames during a wireless scan; exploitation locks a CPU in an endless loop and interrupts service.

The record

CVE
CVE-2022-42721
Published
Oct 13, 2022
Updated
May 15, 2025
Vendor
Unknown vendor
Product
Unknown product
Classifications
CWE-835, T1499.004
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 13, 2022CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 15, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Affected buildAffected product and version details are unavailable.

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.

Published CVSS scores

5.5CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-835Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition ('Infinite Loop')
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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