CVE-2023-53802 (GCVE-0-2023-53802)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2025-12-09 00:00
Modified
2025-12-09 00:00
Severity ?
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function It is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or passes its management to another callback function. However, the skb is not freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was able to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Version: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
 Create a notification for this product.
Show details on NVD website

To clipboard 

{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/htc_hst.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "2.6.35"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "2.6.35",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "4.14.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "4.14.308",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "4.19.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "4.19.276",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.4.235",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.10.173",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.15.99",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.16",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.2.3",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.3",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "4.14.308",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "4.19.276",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.4.235",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.10.173",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.99",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.16",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.2.3",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.3",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function\n\nIt is stated that ath9k_htc_rx_msg() either frees the provided skb or\npasses its management to another callback function. However, the skb is\nnot freed in case there is no another callback function, and Syzkaller was\nable to cause a memory leak. Also minor comment fix.\n\nFound by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller."
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-12-09T00:00:58.582Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b11f95f65cc52ee3a756e6f6a88df37a203e25bd"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/68171c006c8645a3e0293a6c3e6037c6538ac1c5"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/564bc2222bf50eb6cdee715a5431bf4dc9f923c1"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec246dfe006b2a8f36353f7489e4f525114db9a5"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0c0614f143b568cd0e9525d53cf12e5dcd11987"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5a84e51f72580fc70066b03f3dac38421e702a0b"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bbfababb4f899fe1556eac195f9774b6fe675fb6"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b25e3985477ac3f02eca5fc1e0cc6850a3f7e69"
        }
      ],
      "title": "wifi: ath9k: htc_hst: free skb in ath9k_htc_rx_msg() if there is no callback function",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-53802",
    "datePublished": "2025-12-09T00:00:58.582Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-08T23:58:35.275Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-12-09T00:00:58.582Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}


Log in or create an account to share your comment.




Tags
Taxonomy of the tags.




Sightings

Author Source Type Date

Nomenclature

  • Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or seen somewhere by the user.
  • Confirmed: The vulnerability is confirmed from an analyst perspective.
  • Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
  • Exploited: This vulnerability was exploited and seen by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Patched: This vulnerability was successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Not exploited: This vulnerability was not exploited or seen by the user reporting the sighting.
  • Not confirmed: The user expresses doubt about the veracity of the vulnerability.
  • Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.