CVE-2023-53199 (GCVE-0-2023-53199)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-09-15 14:21 – Updated: 2025-09-15 14:21
VLAI?
Title
wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails Syzkaller detected a memory leak of skbs in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(). While processing skbs in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(), the already allocated skbs in skb_pool are not freed if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails. If we have an incorrect pkt_len or pkt_tag, the input skb is considered invalid and dropped. All the associated packets already in skb_pool should be dropped and freed. Added a comment describing this issue. The patch also makes remain_skb NULL after being processed so that it cannot be referenced after potential free. The initialization of hif_dev fields which are associated with remain_skb (rx_remain_len, rx_transfer_len and rx_pad_len) is moved after a new remain_skb is allocated. Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller.
Severity ?
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < 3fc6401fafde11712a83089fa2cc874cfd10e2cd (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < cd8316767099920a5d41feed1afab0c482a43e9f (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < f26dd69f61eff2eedf5df2d199bdd23108309947 (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < 61490d2710277e8a55009b7682456ae22f8087cf (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < 9acdec72787af1bc8ed92711b52118c8e3e638a2 (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < c766e37fccd5a5c5059be7efcd9618bf8a2c17c3 (git)
Affected: 44b23b488d44e56d467764ecb661830e5b02b308 , < 0af54343a76263a12dbae7fafb64eb47c4a6ad38 (git)
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    Linux Linux Affected: 2.6.38
Unaffected: 0 , < 2.6.38 (semver)
Unaffected: 4.19.276 , ≤ 4.19.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.4.235 , ≤ 5.4.* (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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{
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          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c"
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              "status": "unaffected",
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              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.3",
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          ]
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      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
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          "nodes": [
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              "cpeMatch": [
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      "descriptions": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nwifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails\n\nSyzkaller detected a memory leak of skbs in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream().\nWhile processing skbs in ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream(), the already allocated\nskbs in skb_pool are not freed if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails. If we\nhave an incorrect pkt_len or pkt_tag, the input skb is considered invalid\nand dropped. All the associated packets already in skb_pool should be\ndropped and freed. Added a comment describing this issue.\n\nThe patch also makes remain_skb NULL after being processed so that it\ncannot be referenced after potential free. The initialization of hif_dev\nfields which are associated with remain_skb (rx_remain_len,\nrx_transfer_len and rx_pad_len) is moved after a new remain_skb is\nallocated.\n\nFound by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with Syzkaller."
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-09-15T14:21:27.451Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3fc6401fafde11712a83089fa2cc874cfd10e2cd"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cd8316767099920a5d41feed1afab0c482a43e9f"
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        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0af54343a76263a12dbae7fafb64eb47c4a6ad38"
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      "title": "wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails",
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  "cveMetadata": {
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    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-53199",
    "datePublished": "2025-09-15T14:21:27.451Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-09-15T13:59:19.067Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-09-15T14:21:27.451Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1"
}


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