CVE-2022-28667 - Out-of-Bounds Write in Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software (Pre-22.140)

Out-of-bounds vulnerabilities are notorious for causing crashes and opening doors for cyber attacks. One such flaw, CVE-2022-28667, hit some versions of Intel’s famous PROSet/Wireless WiFi software made for Windows. If you use your Windows laptop for work or play, especially on public Wi-Fi, this one’s worth knowing about.

In this deep-dive, we’ll break down what this vulnerability is, how it might be exploited, touch on the technical details, and most importantly, link to official resources for patches and further reading. If you're an IT pro, student, or just a curious nerd, you'll walk away with the knowledge you need to understand and protect against this bug.

What is CVE-2022-28667?

CVE-2022-28667 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability discovered in some releases of Intel(R) PROSet/Wireless WiFi software for Windows, before version 22.140. This bug can let an unauthenticated person who is on the same network (sometimes called *adjacent access*, like in a coffee shop or office) crash your device.

Let’s break it down

- Out-of-bounds write – The program tries to write data where it shouldn't, outside the intended memory buffer.
- Denial of service (DoS) – It can crash your computer or WiFi connection, but doesn't (so far) allow attackers full control or data theft.

Network only – Attacker must be nearby, connected to the same wireless network.

This bug was fixed in update 22.140, so if you’re running anything older, it’s time to update!

How Does the Vulnerability Work?

The Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi software helps manage and optimize wireless connections on Windows systems. Sometimes, it also deals with lower-level packets and data sent over the wireless network.

Like many vulnerabilities reported in these types of software, the problem happens when the WiFi software processes certain malformed packets. An attacker can send carefully-designed traffic that confuses the software. If the code tries to write memory outside the correct range (out-of-bounds), it can crash the driver or the whole system.

Why not remote access over the internet?
Because the bug is in the wireless driver, and only accessible through local WiFi connections — so the attacker must be within wireless range.

A Simple Look at Out-of-Bounds Write

Imagine you have a program that expects a list of 10 WiFi networks, and the attacker sends a fake packet with 50. If the program writes the 41st network past the intended space, it might overwrite critical areas in memory.

Here’s a pseudocode snippet (simplified!) of how this might happen

// Vulnerable code simplified:
char wifi_info[10][256]; // Space for 10 network names

for (int i = ; i < num_networks; i++) {
    // No check if i >= 10!
    memcpy(wifi_info[i], incoming_packet.networks[i], 256);
}

If “num_networks” is more than 10, the code writes *beyond* the end of the array. That’s an out-of-bounds write!

In the real Intel code, things are more complicated. The bug likely exists in handling certain WiFi management frames or packets. When those packets have values that aren’t properly checked, a crash follows.

Position near victim: Must be on the same Wi-Fi network.

- Send malicious packets: Use tools like Scapy or custom WiFi frame injectors to craft packets that trigger the bug.
- Induce crash/DoS: When the vulnerable driver processes these crafted packets, the system locks up or loses Wi-Fi connectivity.

Proof-of-concept tools aren’t publicly available because the impact is limited to DoS (no privilege escalation or remote code execution yet), but security researchers have demonstrated similar attacks with the help of low-level packet crafting tools.

Here’s a glimpse of what an attacker might do in pseudo-Python/Scapy

from scapy.all import *

# Craft a malformed packet (details depend on the real protocol analysis)
malicious_packet = RadioTap()/Dot11(addr1="victim_mac", addr2="attacker_mac", addr3="ap_mac")/Raw(load="malformed_data")

# Send packet over interface in monitor mode
sendp(malicious_packet, iface="wlanmon", count=10)

By sending these malformed packets, the vulnerable system’s driver hits the bug — causing a crash or WiFi disconnection.

Update your Intel WiFi drivers:

Download the latest version here (Intel® Download Center).

Final Words

CVE-2022-28667 reminds us that even everyday software like WiFi drivers can have bugs with real-world effects. While this flaw "only" allows denial of service, it could disrupt work and cause headaches — especially in busy public places or shared workspaces.

If you rely on Intel’s WiFi drivers, check your version and update to 22.140 or newer. Stay sharp, and keep your eyes on announcements for fixes and other vulnerabilities!

Timeline

Published on: 11/11/2022 16:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/17/2022 14:22:00 UTC

CVE-2022-28667 - Out-of-Bounds Write in Intel® PROSet/Wireless WiFi Software (Pre-22.140) — Exploit Details & Analysis