CVE-2023-53199

wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails

published September 15, 2025

CVSS
—
EPSS
0%
Percentile
4.8
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

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.

The record
Technical detail
CVSS
Not scored
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00160 · 4.8th percentile
Published
2025-09-15T14:21Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 15 SEP 14:21Z
    wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: clean up skbs if ath9k_hif_usb_rx_stream() fails
    cvelistv5