CVE-2023-53641 - Vulnerability Details

Link	Providers
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680

Type	Values Removed	Values Added
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.
Title		wifi: ath9k: hif_usb: fix memory leak of remain_skbs
References		https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680

{"dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.1", "cveMetadata": {"cveId": "CVE-2023-53641", "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Linux", "dateReserved": "2025-10-07T15:16:59.658Z", "datePublished": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z", "dateUpdated": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z"}, "containers": {"cna": {"providerMetadata": {"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "shortName": "Linux", "dateUpdated": "2025-10-07T15:19:41.028Z"}, "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->remain_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'd 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."}], "affected": [{"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c"], "versions": [{"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}, {"version": "fb9987d0f748c983bb795a86f47522313f701a08", "lessThan": "7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git"}]}, {"product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "affected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": ["drivers/net/wireless/ath/ath9k/hif_usb.c"], "versions": [{"version": "2.6.35", "status": "affected"}, {"version": "0", "lessThan": "2.6.35", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "4.19.283", "lessThanOrEqual": "4.19.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "5.4.243", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.4.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "5.10.180", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.10.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "5.15.111", "lessThanOrEqual": "5.15.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.1.28", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.2.15", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.2.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.3.2", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.3.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver"}, {"version": "6.4", "lessThanOrEqual": "*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"}]}], "cpeApplicability": [{"nodes": [{"operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [{"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "4.19.283"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "5.4.243"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "5.10.180"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "5.15.111"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "6.1.28"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "6.2.15"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "6.3.2"}, {"vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "2.6.35", "versionEndExcluding": "6.4"}]}]}], "references": [{"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585"}, {"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"}}}}

{"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->remain_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'd 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": "2025-10-07T16:15:47.390", "metrics": {}, "published": "2025-10-07T16:15:47.390", "references": [{"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/320d760a35273aa815d58b57e4fd9ba5279a3489"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/59073060fe0950c6ecbe12bdc06469dcac62128d"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6719e3797ec52cd144c8a5ba8aaab36674800585"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7654cc03eb699297130b693ec34e25f77b17c947"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8f02d538878c9b1501f624595eb22ee4e5e0ff84"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9b9356a3014123f0ce4b50d9278c1265173150ab"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9899318660791141ea6002fda5577b2c5d7386e"}, {"source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f0931fc8f4b6847c72e170d2326861c0a081d680"}], "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "vulnStatus": "Received"}

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