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CVE-2023-54016 (GCVE-0-2023-54016)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-24 10:55 – Updated: 2026-05-11 19:53

Title

wifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak in rx_desc and tx_desc

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak in rx_desc and tx_desc Currently when ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init() is called we allocate memory to rx_descs and tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), during descriptor cleanup rx_descs and tx_descs memory is not freed. This is cause of memory leak. These allocated memory should be freed in ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup. In ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init(), we can save base address of rx_descs and tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), we can free rx_descs and tx_descs memory using their base address. Tested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.0.1-00029-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1

Severity

No CVSS data available.

Assigner

Linux mitre root Scorecard

References

2 references

URL	Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e16be2d34883eecfe…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/afb522b36e76acaa9…

Impacted products

2 products

Vendor	Product	Version	CPE status
Linux	Linux	Affected: d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2 , < e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187 (git) Affected: d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2 , < afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16 (git)	guessed
Linux	Linux	Affected: 6.3 Unaffected: 0 , < 6.3 (semver) Unaffected: 6.5.5 , ≤ 6.5.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.6 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)	guessed

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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.c",
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "lessThan": "e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2",
              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.c",
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "6.3"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "6.3",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.5.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.5.5",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.5.5",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "6.3",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
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                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.6",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "6.3",
                  "vulnerable": true
                }
              ],
              "negate": false,
              "operator": "OR"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak in rx_desc and tx_desc\n\nCurrently when ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init() is called we allocate\nmemory to rx_descs and tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), during\ndescriptor cleanup rx_descs and tx_descs memory is not freed.\n\nThis is cause of memory leak. These allocated memory should be\nfreed in ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup.\n\nIn ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init(), we can save base address of rx_descs\nand tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), we can free rx_descs and\ntx_descs memory using their base address.\n\nTested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.0.1-00029-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1"
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-05-11T19:53:39.798Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16"
        }
      ],
      "title": "wifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak in rx_desc and tx_desc",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-54016",
    "datePublished": "2025-12-24T10:55:47.691Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-24T10:53:46.178Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-05-11T19:53:39.798Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2",
  "vulnerability-lookup:meta": {
    "epss": {
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54016",
      "date": "2026-10-01",
      "epss": "0.00185",
      "percentile": "0.07322"
    },
    "nvd": {
      "cve": {
        "affected": [
          {
            "affectedData": [
              {
                "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.c",
                  "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.h"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "lessThan": "e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16",
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "d889913205cf7ebda905b1e62c5867ed4e39f6c2",
                    "versionType": "git"
                  }
                ]
              },
              {
                "defaultStatus": "affected",
                "product": "Linux",
                "programFiles": [
                  "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.c",
                  "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath12k/dp.h"
                ],
                "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
                "vendor": "Linux",
                "versions": [
                  {
                    "status": "affected",
                    "version": "6.3"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThan": "6.3",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "0",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "6.5.*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.5.5",
                    "versionType": "semver"
                  },
                  {
                    "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
                    "status": "unaffected",
                    "version": "6.6",
                    "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
                  }
                ]
              }
            ],
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
          }
        ],
        "cveTags": [],
        "descriptions": [
          {
            "lang": "en",
            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath12k: Fix memory leak in rx_desc and tx_desc\n\nCurrently when ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init() is called we allocate\nmemory to rx_descs and tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), during\ndescriptor cleanup rx_descs and tx_descs memory is not freed.\n\nThis is cause of memory leak. These allocated memory should be\nfreed in ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup.\n\nIn ath12k_dp_cc_desc_init(), we can save base address of rx_descs\nand tx_descs. In ath12k_dp_cc_cleanup(), we can free rx_descs and\ntx_descs memory using their base address.\n\nTested-on: QCN9274 hw2.0 PCI WLAN.WBE.1.0.1-00029-QCAHKSWPL_SILICONZ-1"
          }
        ],
        "id": "CVE-2023-54016",
        "lastModified": "2026-06-17T06:46:32.657",
        "metrics": {},
        "published": "2025-12-24T11:15:54.570",
        "references": [
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/afb522b36e76acaa9f8fc06d0a9742d841c47c16"
          },
          {
            "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
            "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e16be2d34883eecfe7fd888fcdb76c7a5db5d187"
          }
        ],
        "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "vulnStatus": "Deferred"
      }
    },
    "redhat_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "Moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-06-29T22:39:50+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54016",
      "id": "CVE-2023-54016",
      "initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:fixed": "279",
      "product_status:known_affected": "22",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "166",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: Linux kernel: Memory leak in ath12k Wi-Fi driver can lead to denial of service",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-54016.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
    "suse_vex": {
      "aggregate_severity": "moderate",
      "current_release_date": "2026-09-26T16:25:34Z",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54016",
      "id": "CVE-2023-54016",
      "initial_release_date": "2025-12-25T00:57:38Z",
      "product_status:known_affected": "394",
      "product_status:known_not_affected": "451",
      "product_status:recommended": "241",
      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2023-54016",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2023-54016.json",
      "version": "37"
    }
  }
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

The MITRE ATT&CK techniques below are AI-generated suggestions, inferred from the description of the vulnerability by the CIRCL/vulnerability-attack-technique-classification-roberta-base model, served locally by ML-Gateway. They have not been verified by an analyst and are provided for guidance only.
The approach is described in our paper Mapping CVEs to MITRE ATT&CK Techniques: A Curated Gold-Set Classifier and the Limits of LLM-Assisted Label Expansion.
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CVE-2023-54016 (GCVE-0-2023-54016)

WID-SEC-W-2025-2920

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