CVE-2024-53055

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's iwlwifi driver. This vulnerability can lead to a Denial of Service (DoS) when constructing a 6 GHz wireless scan. Due to an 8-bit loop counter, discovering more than 255 co-located access points (APs) causes the driver to enter an infinite loop. An attacker within wireless range broadcasting numerous access points can trigger this condition to hang the system.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

To mitigate this flaw, prevent the iwlmvm module from being loaded if Intel wireless networking is not required on the system.

1. Add a configuration rule to disable module loading:

echo "install iwlmvm /bin/true" > /etc/modprobe.d/disable-iwlmvm.conf

2. If the module is already loaded into the running kernel, unload it:

modprobe -r iwlmvm

Alternatively, reboot the system to ensure the module is not active.

Caveats: Disabling this module prevents Intel Wi-Fi devices utilizing the iwlmvm driver from functioning, disabling wireless network connectivity. Unloading the driver while in use or rebooting the system will terminate active network connections.