FKIE_CVE-2023-53641
Vulnerability from fkie_nvd - Published: 2025-10-07 16:15 - Updated: 2026-06-17 06:45
Severity
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs
hif_dev->remain_skb is allocated and used exclusively in
ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). It is implied that an allocated remain_skb is
processed and subsequently freed (in error paths) only during the next
call of ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream().
So, if the urbs are deallocated between those two calls due to the device
deinitialization or suspend, it is possible that ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream()
is not called next time and the allocated remain_skb is leaked. Our local
Syzkaller instance was able to trigger that.
remain_skb makes sense when receiving two consecutive urbs which are
logically linked together, i.e. a specific data field from the first skb
indicates a cached skb to be allocated, memcpy'd with some data and
subsequently processed in the next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). Urbs
deallocation supposedly makes that link irrelevant so we need to free the
cached skb in those cases.
Fix the leak by introducing a function to explicitly free remain_skb (if
it is not NULL) when the rx urbs have been deallocated. remain_skb is NULL
when it has not been allocated at all (hif_dev struct is kzalloced) or
when it has been processed in next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream().
Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
References
Impacted products
| Vendor | Product | Version | |
|---|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * | |
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
{
"affected": [
{
"affectedData": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947",
"status": "affected",
"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08",
"versionType": "git"
}
]
},
{
"defaultStatus": "affected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.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": "4.19.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "4.19.283",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.4.243",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.10.180",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "5.15.111",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.1.28",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.2.15",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "6.3.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.3.2",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "6.4",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
}
],
"configurations": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "0B3AD6DB-0A40-4AE7-B7CA-2BC3A8E94AD4",
"versionEndExcluding": "4.19.283",
"versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "E54ACEF5-C8C1-4266-85FC-7D513FFD1DEC",
"versionEndExcluding": "5.4.243",
"versionStartIncluding": "4.20",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "78422AC3-CC89-479E-B4BC-62381D8F3564",
"versionEndExcluding": "5.10.180",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.5",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "2B9DD776-7F17-4F72-B94F-54BFCBC692DD",
"versionEndExcluding": "5.15.111",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.11",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "08F855F4-7188-4EE1-BD79-D4B6C7E2EF54",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.1.28",
"versionStartIncluding": "5.16",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "3844A90B-940D-46C3-8D7B-9FF63F1AFC2F",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.2.15",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.2",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"matchCriteriaId": "38F6F330-91A0-4675-8B90-6F950471A7CC",
"versionEndExcluding": "6.3.2",
"versionStartIncluding": "6.3",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"cveTags": [],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs\n\nhif_dev-\u003eremain_skb is allocated and used exclusively in\nath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). It is implied that an allocated remain_skb is\nprocessed and subsequently freed (in error paths) only during the next\ncall of ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream().\n\nSo, if the urbs are deallocated between those two calls due to the device\ndeinitialization or suspend, it is possible that ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream()\nis not called next time and the allocated remain_skb is leaked. Our local\nSyzkaller instance was able to trigger that.\n\nremain_skb makes sense when receiving two consecutive urbs which are\nlogically linked together, i.e. a specific data field from the first skb\nindicates a cached skb to be allocated, memcpy\u0027d with some data and\nsubsequently processed in the next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). Urbs\ndeallocation supposedly makes that link irrelevant so we need to free the\ncached skb in those cases.\n\nFix the leak by introducing a function to explicitly free remain_skb (if\nit is not NULL) when the rx urbs have been deallocated. remain_skb is NULL\nwhen it has not been allocated at all (hif_dev struct is kzalloced) or\nwhen it has been processed in next call to ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream().\n\nFound by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller."
}
],
"id": "CVE-2023-53641",
"lastModified": "2026-06-17T06:45:46.677",
"metrics": {
"cvssMetricV31": [
{
"cvssData": {
"attackComplexity": "LOW",
"attackVector": "LOCAL",
"availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
"baseScore": 5.5,
"baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
"confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
"integrityImpact": "NONE",
"privilegesRequired": "LOW",
"scope": "UNCHANGED",
"userInteraction": "NONE",
"vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
"version": "3.1"
},
"exploitabilityScore": 1.8,
"impactScore": 3.6,
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"type": "Primary"
}
]
},
"published": "2025-10-07T16:15:47.390",
"references": [
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
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],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e"
},
{
"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"tags": [
"Patch"
],
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680"
}
],
"sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"vulnStatus": "Analyzed",
"weaknesses": [
{
"description": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "CWE-401"
}
],
"source": "nvd@nist.gov",
"type": "Primary"
}
]
}
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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.
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.
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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.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
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.
Browse all ATT&CK techniques and the vulnerabilities related to each.
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