CVE-2023-54036 (GCVE-0-2023-54036)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-12-24 10:56 – Updated: 2026-05-11 19:54
VLAI
Title
wifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU The wifi + bluetooth combo chip RTL8723BU can leak memory (especially?) when it's connected to a bluetooth audio device. The busy bluetooth traffic generates lots of C2H (card to host) messages, which are not freed correctly. To fix this, move the dev_kfree_skb() call in rtl8xxxu_c2hcmd_callback() inside the loop where skb_dequeue() is called. The RTL8192EU leaks memory because the C2H messages are added to the queue and left there forever. (This was fine in the past because it probably wasn't sending any C2H messages until commit e542e66b7c2e ("wifi: rtl8xxxu: gen2: Turn on the rate control"). Since that commit it sends a C2H message when the TX rate changes.) To fix this, delete the check for rf_paths > 1 and the goto. Let the function process the C2H messages from RTL8192EU like the ones from the other chips. Theoretically the RTL8188FU could also leak like RTL8723BU, but it most likely doesn't send C2H messages frequently enough. This change was tested with RTL8723BU by Erhard F. I tested it with RTL8188FU and RTL8192EU.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
Linux CNA under the mitre root
CNA scorecard D 53/100 over 7033 records in the last 180 days details
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 , < 430f9f9bec53a75f9ccc53e156a66f13fc098b83 (git)
Affected: e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 , < 35fb0e275af1aa1ca0a9784417e90f988aaf8e78 (git)
Affected: e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 , < 93c3f34ec02fc81188d328287d4fddd498ccddea (git)
Affected: e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 , < f39a86b4efd270947ee252cc32a30b0aef492d65 (git)
Affected: e542e66b7c2ee2adeefdbb7f259f2f60cadf2819 , < b39f662ce1648db0b9de32e6a849b098480793cb (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 5.5
Unaffected: 0 , < 5.5 (semver)
Unaffected: 5.10.173 , ≤ 5.10.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.15.99 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.16 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.2.3 , ≤ 6.2.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.3 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU\n\nThe wifi + bluetooth combo chip RTL8723BU can leak memory (especially?)\nwhen it\u0027s connected to a bluetooth audio device. The busy bluetooth\ntraffic generates lots of C2H (card to host) messages, which are not\nfreed correctly.\n\nTo fix this, move the dev_kfree_skb() call in rtl8xxxu_c2hcmd_callback()\ninside the loop where skb_dequeue() is called.\n\nThe RTL8192EU leaks memory because the C2H messages are added to the\nqueue and left there forever. (This was fine in the past because it\nprobably wasn\u0027t sending any C2H messages until commit e542e66b7c2e\n(\"wifi: rtl8xxxu: gen2: Turn on the rate control\"). Since that commit\nit sends a C2H message when the TX rate changes.)\n\nTo fix this, delete the check for rf_paths \u003e 1 and the goto. Let the\nfunction process the C2H messages from RTL8192EU like the ones from\nthe other chips.\n\nTheoretically the RTL8188FU could also leak like RTL8723BU, but it\nmost likely doesn\u0027t send C2H messages frequently enough.\n\nThis change was tested with RTL8723BU by Erhard F. I tested it with\nRTL8188FU and RTL8192EU."
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            "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: rtl8xxxu: Fix memory leaks with RTL8723BU, RTL8192EU\n\nThe wifi + bluetooth combo chip RTL8723BU can leak memory (especially?)\nwhen it\u0027s connected to a bluetooth audio device. The busy bluetooth\ntraffic generates lots of C2H (card to host) messages, which are not\nfreed correctly.\n\nTo fix this, move the dev_kfree_skb() call in rtl8xxxu_c2hcmd_callback()\ninside the loop where skb_dequeue() is called.\n\nThe RTL8192EU leaks memory because the C2H messages are added to the\nqueue and left there forever. (This was fine in the past because it\nprobably wasn\u0027t sending any C2H messages until commit e542e66b7c2e\n(\"wifi: rtl8xxxu: gen2: Turn on the rate control\"). Since that commit\nit sends a C2H message when the TX rate changes.)\n\nTo fix this, delete the check for rf_paths \u003e 1 and the goto. Let the\nfunction process the C2H messages from RTL8192EU like the ones from\nthe other chips.\n\nTheoretically the RTL8188FU could also leak like RTL8723BU, but it\nmost likely doesn\u0027t send C2H messages frequently enough.\n\nThis change was tested with RTL8723BU by Erhard F. I tested it with\nRTL8188FU and RTL8192EU."
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        "id": "CVE-2023-54036",
        "lastModified": "2026-06-17T06:46:35.163",
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      "current_release_date": "2026-07-21T18:56:18+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2023-54036",
      "id": "CVE-2023-54036",
      "initial_release_date": "2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00",
      "product_status:fixed": "120",
      "product_status:known_affected": "124",
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      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
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      "title": "kernel: Linux kernel: Denial of Service due to memory leak in rtl8xxxu Wi-Fi driver",
      "url": "https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2023/cve-2023-54036.json",
      "version": "3"
    },
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      "cve": "CVE-2023-54036",
      "id": "CVE-2023-54036",
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      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2023-54036",
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      "version": "23"
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}



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