CVE-2023-53641

wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs

MEDIUM
5.5
CVSS Score
Published: October 7, 2025 at 03:19 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 06:45 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM5.5
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%

Description

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.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

2.6.35 ≤ v < 4.19.2832.6.35 ≤ v < 5.10.1802.6.35 ≤ v < 5.15.1112.6.35 ≤ v < 5.4.2432.6.35 ≤ v < 6.1.282.6.35 ≤ v < 6.2.152.6.35 ≤ v < 6.3.22.6.35 ≤ v < 6.44.20 ≤ v < 5.4.2435.11 ≤ v < 5.15.1115.16 ≤ v < 6.1.285.5 ≤ v < 5.10.1806.2 ≤ v < 6.2.156.3 ≤ v < 6.3.22.6.35fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08
Vendor states this is fixed in 320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2.6.35 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.283 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.180 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.111 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.243 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.28 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.2.15 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.3.2 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.4 (unaffected)

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-401

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