Linux Kernel ath12k NULL Pointer Dereference Vulnerability in Hardware Scan Operation

A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's ath12k wireless driver. This issue arises in the ath12k_mac_op_hw_scan() function, where the return value of kzalloc() is used directly in memcpy(). If kzalloc() fails, this can lead to a NULL pointer dereference. The vulnerability has been addressed by adding a check for the pointer before use. This issue affects the Linux kernel ath12k driver on WCN7850 hardware version 2.0, as tested on a specific WLAN PCI device.

Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to a NULL pointer dereference, causing a crash or undefined behavior in the kernel.

Remediation

Users can upgrade to the latest version of the Linux kernel where this vulnerability has been patched. The specific commit addressing this issue is available in the Linux kernel stable tree.