CVE-2023-53641 (GCVE-0-2023-53641)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2025-10-07 15:19 – Updated: 2025-10-07 15:19
VLAI?
Title
wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs
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.
Severity ?
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version
Linux Linux Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585 (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489 (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680 (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84 (git)
Affected: fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08 , < 7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947 (git)
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    Linux Linux Affected: 2.6.35
Unaffected: 0 , < 2.6.35 (semver)
Unaffected: 4.19.283 , ≤ 4.19.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.4.243 , ≤ 5.4.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.10.180 , ≤ 5.10.* (semver)
Unaffected: 5.15.111 , ≤ 5.15.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.28 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.2.15 , ≤ 6.2.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.3.2 , ≤ 6.3.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.4 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
  "containers": {
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        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c"
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          "vendor": "Linux",
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              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "4.19.283",
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            },
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              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.4.243",
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            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.10.180",
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            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "5.15.111",
              "versionType": "semver"
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              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.28",
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              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
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              "version": "6.3.2",
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              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.4",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "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: 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."
        }
      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
      },
      "references": [
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585"
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        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947"
        }
      ],
      "title": "wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs",
      "x_generator": {
        "engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
      }
    }
  },
  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2023-53641",
    "datePublished": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-10-07T15:16:59.658Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.1"
}


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